Chanukah, the Festival of Dedication [chanukah in Hebrew means "dedication"], also known as the “Festival of Lights” is the most widely celebrated American Jewish holiday, possibly because it is a fun, child-centered celebration. It is celebrated with excellent food, an exchange of gifts, and the lighting of beautiful menorahs (called “chanukiahs”) filled with brightly colored candles. Unlike some of the other Jewish holidays, which require intense spiritual reflection or elaborate preparation, it is easy to celebrate.

The rebirth of modern Israel has been paralleled by a revival of interest in spirituality among Jewry worldwide. Amidst this search for meaning and truth, Jewish people have once again examined the Hebrew Scriptures, the foundation and central document in Jewish faith. Many have compared the teachings of the Torah and the Prophets with the claims of the New Testament. A great number of these people have come to embrace the belief that Yeshua [Jesus] is the Messiah of Israel and that the New Testament is, after all, a Jewish book … about a Jewish Messiah.

The Haftarah is a text selected from the books of Nevi’im [Prophets] that is read publicly in the synagogue after the reading of the Torah on each Sabbath, as well as on the “Feasts of the L-rd” [festivals], and fast days. The most common explanation, accepted by some traditional Jewish authorities is that in 168 B.C.E., when the Jews were under the rule of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Chanukah Story [This is the Feast of Dedication/Chanukah of John 10:22, that Yeshua attended], they were forbidden from reading the Torah and made do by substituting a section of the rest of the Tanakh (The Prophets- Nevi’im). When they were again able to read the Torah (Five books of Moses), they kept reading the haftarah (the corresponding Prophet reading) as well.