What's hanukkah

Do you know Hanukkah? Do you know why the Jews celebrate this holiday by lighting candles for 8 days. It's a story that takes place a long time ago in Israel, where the Jews under Greek occupation ...

In the Jerusalem temple on Mount Moriah, there is a seven-branched candlestick made of pure gold, the Menorah.
The High Priest, known as the Cohen Gadol, lights the Menorah with pure olive oil.

Greek King Antiochus IV arrives at the temple and decides that all Jews should stop practicing their religion. Soldiers from his army enter the temple and extinguish the golden candlesticks.

The Jews are dividing. Some do not obey the demands of the Greek king.

They hide in caves and continue to study and practice their religion.

But they know that if Antochius’s soldiers find them, they will suffer a great retribution!

Other Jews fear and obey King Antiochus. They have no choice but to live like the Greeks!

Elsewhere, in a small town, lives a great sage, Mattatias. He cannot stand this situation and decides to revolt.



“Let us revolt against this wicked king Antiochus and against the Greeks who want to force us to transgress the Torah! Even though they are many more than us, we can overcome them if God helps us. "

A group of Jews is formed and set out to wage war against the Greek army. They win and drive the mighty army out of Jerusalem. It is a miracle from God.

After the war, the Jews return to the temple in Jerusalem. They repair and purify it to thank God for the many miracles he performed.

As they repair the Menorah, they realize that they no longer have pure olive oil.

The Greeks wasted all their oil reserves. The Jews are desperate for a vial of this pure oil to rekindle the Menorah. Luckily, they find one. But this one is small and can only burn for one day ...

They light it up and this little bottle of oil burns for 8 days!

In remembrance of this miracle, every year the Jews celebrate Chanukah by lighting a 9-branch menorah for 8 days.