Teachings Archive

Let us be inspired to continue to rise, amid the ruin and the rubble, and let us light the flames for goodness, for justice, for the health of the planet and the dignity of all.

As we come to the eighth and final night of Chanukah and the fullness of the light, we rededicate ourselves to living and acting in alignment with our highest values.

Naming and noticing moments of joy, finding reasons to celebrate, joining in laughter and play strengthens and renews us.

As we light the candles, we acknowledge that the choices our great, great, great grandparents made have helped create this very moment, and the choices we make will help create the lives of people we will never know.

On this fifth night of Chanukah, we honor the lights we each offer to the world.

As we light the Chanukah candles, and then the Shabbat flames, we rededicate ourselves to gifts of Shabbat.

On this third night of Chanukah, we lift up our values and ideals and the ways in which we long for our world to be healed. We name and honor people who work for justice.

We affirm that this living, breathing planet nurtures and sustains us and that everything we do affects the well being of all. On this second night of Chanukah, as we light the candles, we give thanks for creation, and we name places that offer us beauty and refuge.

As Chanukah begins, we rededicate ourselves to looking at the world with eyes of wonder and awe. We rededicate ourselves to noticing the blessings and lifting up the good.

It can be so easy to despair, realizing how many things have happened despite the opposition of so many people. But Chanukah implores us to act, even as we do not know if our actions will succeed.

In times when it is difficult to find a way forward, Chanukah reminds us to join together and take action even when change feels impossible.

In the darkest time of the year, flames are lit through out the world to proclaim the power of the spirit to shine and reunite us in love, hope and generosity.

On Chanukah, we light candles for eight days, to remember that in the desecrated Temple, amid the rubble and the ruin, a drop of oil was found. It was only enough to last one day but it burned for eight, the amount of time needed to find and prepare more sacred oil for the holy flames. The first drop of oil was lit not knowing what would be and it burned brighter and longer than anyone thought possible.