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Hanukkah falls during finals week this year, and students and organizations are seeking ways to bring the two events together. 

Finals weeks does not prevent Jewish students from celebrating Hanukkah

Hanukkah coincides with finals week this year, so students and organizations on campus must adapt their celebrations. Chabad and Hillel will both host menorah lighting events.

To celebrate Hanukkah, Diana Wahl usually enjoys making latkes throughout the eight-day holiday. This year, she said she’ll have to plan to say the nightly Hanukkah prayers after she leaves the library.

Hanukkah falls on finals week this year.

“It’s kind of sad that I won’t be able to go with my family to the temple or the synagogue where they do a Hanukkah celebration,” Wahl, a senior studying marketing, said. “I’m a senior though, so I’m more used to not being at home for the holidays.”

Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights and is a celebration of a miracle. The Jews defeated the Syrians for religious freedom, and oil was needed to light the menorah, though the Syrians only left the Jews enough for one night. The miracle is that the oil lasted for eight days.

Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, the executive director of Hillel at OU, said academics remain the No. 1 priority for students, even during Hanukkah and especially during finals week.

The last time an overlap of Hanukkah and exams occurred was in 2012.

The menorah can be lit anytime after the sun goes down, according to Rabbi Levi Raichik of Chabad, a Hasidic Jewish organization. Students can light their menorahs before they study, during a study break or when they get home late at night if they choose to.

“That’s part of the symbolism of Hanukkah — lighting up the darkness,” Raichik said.

Hanukkah celebrations are often very long and involve large meals and festive parties, Leshaw said. She added that celebrating in such an extravagant way, as Hillel has done in the past, is extremely difficult to do during finals week, which is why they are hosting a menorah lighting outside of Alden Library.

“For anybody that has never lit a menorah before — anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend,” Leshaw said. “If students are comfortable with stepping outside, we want to see them whether they are Jewish or not.”  

Leshaw said if they had chosen to host parties throughout the week as they have done in the past, many students might not have come.

Chabad is also hosting a menorah lighting outside of Alden through Thursday night, Raichik said.

“We’re putting up a giant nine-foot menorah outside of Alden on the fourth floor,” Raichik said. “We’re going to light it every night at 10 o’clock.”

Students are able to take study breaks at the library, come outside and watch the menorah lighting, and Raichik said Sunday, Chabad will provide coffee, donuts, latkes and dreidels for students to enjoy.

The significance of eating foods, such as latke and donuts, during the holiday has to do with the famous miracle of Hanukkah, Raichik said.

“(It’s) to celebrate the miracle of the oil,” Raichik said. “We eat oily foods. Donuts are very oily. Latkes are potato pancakes fried in oil. Different people eat different oily foods.”

Chabad is also giving away free menorah kits, which includes a menorah, candles and a dreidel on its website for any student who wants to celebrate Hanukkah.

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On Friday, Hillel will host a menorah lighting and potluck party for anyone who is still in town after finals week.

Wahl said Hillel’s event is really the only way she gets to celebrate with other Jewish students because it is difficult to gather students together to light the menorah.

“Hanukkah and finals week coinciding this year has challenged us to rethink the way that we are celebrating with our students,” Leshaw said.  

@_alexdarus

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