The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is here, and the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives of the Heinz History Center has prepared eight days of treats from the archives.
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, meaning dedication, takes place over eight nights.
Here are some of our favorite Hanukkah artifacts and stories from the History Center’s Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, some for each of the holiday’s eight days.
First things first: What is Hanukkah?
During the Nazi rise to power in the 1930s, Pittsburgh Jews mobilized to raise money to aid refugees, some of whom were brought to Pittsburgh and supported by the Jewish community. The Friendship Club was founded in 1936 by German-Jewish refugees as a support group which welcomed those who continued to arrive. Events like this Hanukkah celebration helped these refugees ease into American life following their liberation from Nazi rule.
The relatively minor Jewish holiday of Hanukkah shares little with Christmas other than the time of year. However, the cultural power of Christmas poses a challenge to American Jews. Is the holiday season a time to blend in or to celebrate distinctiveness? As this “amended” holiday card demonstrates, sometimes the answer is “both.”
“Chanuco Greetings,” wrote Samuel Reingold to his friend Anna Spiegle. The two later married.
Two congregations from very different religious movements – Temple Sinai from the liberal Reform movement, Bnai Emunoh from the ultra-orthodox Chabad Lubavitch – still share the same Hanukkah candle lighting ritual. Both congregations remain important parts of Pittsburgh’s diverse Jewish community.
Below, two synagogues separated by time and religious movements engage in the same ritual of lighting the menorah.
This spinning top game is played by Jews the world over during Hanukkah. It is common enough that a local savings & loan designed an ad around the game in a Dec. 1958 American Jewish Outlook.
Never spun a dreidel? Learn to play!
A great miracle may have happened there, in ancient Israel, but a great magic show happened here, in Sharon, Pa. In 1980, Temple Beth Israel featured a magician at its annual Hanukkah Dinner. Latkes (potato pancakes) and gelt (chocolate coins) are evidently not the only way to celebrate the holiday!
In 1958, the Kaufmann Auditorium of the Irene Kaufmann Settlement, located in the heart of the Hill District, played host to Pittsburgh’s Young Men & Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YMWHA) Chanukah Dance. This was the last year the YMWHA Chanukah Dance was held on Centre Ave. In 1959, the Irene Kaufmann Building of the JCC opened at 5738 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill.
The entertainment portion of the evening included a candle lighting ceremony and a performance from the Young Judean Dance Group.
Community Day School is an independent day school where students come from a range of different Jewish backgrounds. There are nearly as many ways to observe the holiday of Hanukkah as there are people that celebrate it! What are some of your Hanukkah traditions?
David Schlitt was formerly the director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives.
Siku ya Hanukkah ya Kiyahudi imefika, na Programu ya Historia ya Kiyahudi ya Rauh na Hifadhi ya Kituo cha Historia cha Heinz imepanga siku nane za mapambo kutoka kwenye hifadhi. Sikukuu ya Kiyahudi ya Hanukkah, inayomaanisha kujitolea, hufanywa kwa usiku nane. Hapa kuna baadhi ya vitu vyetu vya kupendwa vya Hanukkah na hadithi kutoka kwa Programu ya Historia ya Kiyahudi ya Rauh ya Kituo cha Historia na Hifadhi, zingine kwa kila siku nane za likizo. Kwanza, ni nini Hanukkah? Wakati wa Nazi kupanda kwa nguvu katika 1930s, Pittsburgh Wayahudi walijikusanya ili kukusanya fedha kusaidia wakimbizi, baadhi yao walikuwa kuletwa Pittsburgh na kuungwa mkono na jamii ya Kiyahudi. Klabu ya Urafiki ilianzishwa mwaka 1936 na wakimbizi wa Kiyahudi wa Ujerumani kama kikundi cha msaada ambacho kiliwakaribisha wale waliendelea kufika. Sherehe ya Hanukkah iliwawezesha wakimbizi hao kuishi maisha ya kawaida ya Marekani baada ya kuachiliwa huru kutoka kwa utawala wa Nazi. Sikukuu ndogo ya Kiyahudi ya Hanukkah haina uhusiano wowote na Krismasi isipokuwa wakati wa mwaka. Hata hivyo, nguvu ya kitamaduni ya Krismasi huwa changamoto kwa Wayahudi wa Marekani. Je, majira ya likizo ni wakati wa kujipatanisha na wengine au wa kusherehekea mambo ya pekee? Kama kadi hii ya likizo "iliyofanyiwa marekebisho" inavyoonyesha, nyakati nyingine jibu ni "zote mbili". "Salamu za Chanuco", akaandika Samuel Reingold kwa rafiki yake Anna Spiegle. Baadaye walifunga ndoa. Makutaniko mawili kutoka harakati tofauti sana za kidini - Temple Sinai kutoka harakati ya Marekebisho ya huria, Bnai Emunoh kutoka Chabad Lubavitch ya ultra-orthodox - bado wanashiriki desturi ile ile ya kuwasha mishumaa ya Hanukkah. Makutaniko yote mawili bado ni sehemu muhimu ya jamii mbalimbali ya Kiyahudi ya Pittsburgh. Chini, masinagogi mawili yaliyogawanywa na wakati na harakati za kidini hujiingiza katika desturi ileile ya kuwasha menorah. Mchezo huu wa kugeuka-geuka huchezwa na Wayahudi ulimwenguni pote wakati wa Hanukkah. "Hii ni kwa sababu ya ""mashirika ya mkopo na akiba"" ya Marekani, ambayo ilitoa matangazo ya biashara ya michezo ya kubahatisha katika gazeti la American Jewish Outlook la Desemba 1958." Je, hujawahi kutengeneza dreidel? Jifunze kucheza! Maajabu makubwa yametokea huko, katika Israeli ya kale, lakini maonyesho makubwa ya uchawi yalitokea hapa, katika Sharon, Pa. Mwaka 1980 hekalu la Beth Israel lilimwalika mchawi katika karamu yake ya kila mwaka ya Hanukkah. Ni wazi kwamba si Latkes (pancake za viazi) na gelt ( sarafu za chokoleti) tu njia ya kusherehekea sikukuu hiyo! Katika 1958, Kaufman Auditorium ya Irene Kaufman Settlement, iliyoko katikati ya Wilaya ya Hill, ilicheza mwenyeji wa Pittsburgh Young Men & Young Women's Hebrew Association (YMWHA) Chanukah Dance. Mwaka huu ni mwaka wa kwanza kwa YMCA kuandaa sherehe ya Chanukah katika mji wa New York. Jengo la Irene Kaufman la JCC lilifunguliwa mnamo 1959 katika 5738 Forbes Ave. Sehemu ya burudani ya jioni hiyo ilitia ndani sherehe ya kuwasha mishumaa na maonyesho ya Kikundi cha Dansi cha Vijana wa Yuda. Community Day School ni shule ya siku huru ambapo wanafunzi wanatoka mbalimbali ya asili tofauti ya Kiyahudi. Kuna karibu njia nyingi za kusherehekea sikukuu ya Hanukkah kama kuna watu wanaosherehekea! Ni nini baadhi ya desturi zako za Hanukkah? David Schlitt hapo awali alikuwa mkurugenzi wa Programu ya Historia ya Kiyahudi ya Rauh na Hifadhi.