Hanukkah Traditions Light the Way for Community and Belonging
Ella Luhrssen is a first-year student at the University of Houston. In celebration of Hanukkah this year, Ella shared her experience of finding community and belonging through Hanukkah at Houston Hillel.
Hanukkah has always been a magical experience for me. The special foods, the dancing lights, and the whimsical shapes formed by the melting wax are dear to my heart. As a child, I was surprised at how long the flames stayed alight and even more shocked to learn that the little bit of oil in the Temple Menorah lasted for eight days.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the intricate symbolism of Jewish holidays, especially Hanukkah. For example, the shamash, the ninth helper candle, shares its light with the other candles; we eat fried latkes and sufganiyot, filled doughnuts, to honor the oil that helped the Jewish people in the Hanukkah story rededicate the Temple; and we spin dreidels inscribed with the reminder of the great miracle that happened then. Every detail stems from a much broader journey that I’m honored to be part of, demonstrating the miracle of flourishing in the face of scarcity and honoring our ancestors’ resilience.
Lighting the hanukkiah is a particular source of comfort and connection. It sparks a feeling of collective harmony around the table, with everyone dedicated to sharing the gift of light. Growing up in a neighborhood where my family didn’t know any other Jews, celebrating Hanukkah was something I’d only shared with those closest to me – and it has remained sacred throughout my life as my observance of the holiday has changed.
I remember my early years as a child, when my brother was learning the blessing, and the even earlier ones when I was a toddler who insisted on holding the shamash despite needing a little assistance.
In recent years, I’ve missed that feeling of connection and sacred belonging. My family hasn’t been together for the holiday more recently, and last year, I found myself lighting birthday candles in a makeshift hanukkiah over WhatsApp with my mom. I also found myself looking for something more.
That feeling of searching for Jewish connection was one reason I got involved with Hillel at the University of Houston, and built a family for myself here. Now I feel more connected to my Jewish identity and tradition than ever before.
Being welcomed by the Jewish community here has allowed me to flourish. This feeling has been especially magnified this Hanukkah, as I’ve grown even deeper connections to a festival so dear to me. It was this holiday season, as a first-year college student, that I played dreidel for the first time, learning each face of the dreidel; nun. gimmel, hay, and shin (or pey in Israel) and their meanings before playing the game. Making note of the other players’ techniques, I gave it a go. The dreidel spun about itself sideways for a few seconds before falling, and to make matters worse, I continuously landed on nun and shin. Though I won no gelt at the end of the game, it was decided I should have all of it as a first-time player. Win or lose, this simple game filled the room with a warm energy that united us all.
Sharing this activity with other Jewish students around a holiday that already meant so much to me made my connection to Hanukkah – and Judaism – that much deeper. Hillel at the University of Houston has given me new ways to experience my culture by helping me build community and showing me how enriching it is to embrace this beautiful part of my life. Hanukkah is one of the most joyous times of the year, and being able to share this blessing with my new community makes it that much more meaningful.