Hanukkah

I admit to knowing very little about Hanukkah, and I suspect that most of what I do know is the same sugar-coated, commercialized variety as the things I know about a lot of other holidays. So this article by David Brooks struck me as really interesting and thoughtful. I don't doubt that others have different perspectives on this piece of history and the resulting cultural practices that emerged from it. But I also think the urge to dig under the layers that have accumulated over the years to attempt to really understand the political and religious implications is a productive one. So, Happy Hanukkah. Here's to trying to understand history in order to avoid making those same old mistakes over and over again.