Holiday Season in Israel: Reflections on Hanukkah, Christmas, and the Gregorian New Year

Hanukkah in Israel - Decorations seen in the streets of Israel - December 2024

Seasonal Wishes for a Happy New Gregorian Year

As we enter the holiday season in Israel, with Hanukkah, Christmas, and the Gregorian New Year approaching, I want to share what has been on my mind and in my heart this year. There is something special about the holidays aligning, allowing people from different backgrounds and traditions to celebrate together. Before I share my personal reflections, I want to explain why I refer to the "Gregorian" New Year in this newsletter and during the Israel Daily News Podcast.

The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to replace the Julian calendar and improve accuracy by aligning more closely with the solar year. Jews, however, follow their own calendar, calculated through generations of scholarship based on the ages and events recorded in the Torah, from Adam through Noah, the Exodus from Egypt, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

During this holiday season in Israel, we’ve seen a wave of babies born and couples getting engaged or married. The war has reminded us how fragile life is. People are holding their loved ones closer, taking their relationships more seriously, and choosing to build futures together despite uncertainty.

I recently wrote about this experience for the Jerusalem Post Magazine, sharing my perspective as a single woman living in wartime Tel Aviv. The article became the cover story. If you read it, you may laugh, smile, cry—or feel all three.

This season, I encourage everyone to tell friends and family how much they mean to them. Share the compliments and kind thoughts that often go unsaid. You never know when it may be your last opportunity to express appreciation or love. Don’t wait.

At a Chabad Shabbat dinner this past Friday, I shared a thought about the Hanukkah menorah, or hanukiah in Hebrew. The hanukiah is not meant to be hidden away. It is meant to be displayed—a light for all to see.