![]() ![]() And there can often even be this tension of Jewish survival, does that mean clinging as staunchly as possible to traditions and practices at any cost, or is it adapting and accommodating to new context that we’re in, and therefore ensuring that Jews survive even if what Judaism is, and what Jewish culture is, and what Jews do, changes over that time? But definitely what it is really about, the Jewish victory part, I think is really important and I think the real core theme is Jewish survival. Schwab: (laughs) It’s much more complicated than that, I’ll say. And every part of what you just said, Yael, is wrong. We are gonna spend a lot of time talking about the first one, but part of what we’re gonna talk about is how the things that you said, I want to repeat back what you said, the Jewish victory over the Greeks who were trying to erase Jewish culture. Schwab: The second one, the story of the miracle of oil, we’re not gonna spend a lot of time talking about. I never think about that, but I just don’t wanna sound stupid right now. Schwab: Those are both such great examples of the way that we think about Hanukkah typically. But really, I think about the canister of oil that was supposed to last one night and miraculously lasted eight. On the one hand I’m gonna say I think about the Jewish victory over the Greeks who are trying to erase Jewish culture and Hellenize everyone. Yael: I think about, I’m wearing two hats here. Schwab: Number one theme, jelly donuts and latkes. Yael: Besides the jelly donuts and the latkes? Schwab: When you think about Hanukkah, what comes to mind as the core theme of the holiday? Schwab: (laughs) We’re just gonna ruin all the other parts of the holiday, but the jelly donuts and the latke will remain unspoiled. Yael: Before you start, I just wanna make sure that you’re not gonna tell me anything that is going to affect my ability to enjoy jelly donuts or latkes. Schwab: Yeah, and the story we usually have on Hanukkah is a very warm and positive one, and the real story we’re gonna talk about today is definitely a lot more complicated and a lot darker. Yael: So this is a behind the music situation where I’m gonna find out something really terrifying about my favorite rockstar? It really has for me as I’ve spent time preparing for this episode. Emotional disclaimer: Getting into the true history of Hanukkah and some of the more complicated and gory details is gonna change the way you view this holiday. We usually cover stories that are not as familiar, but this week we’ll be giving much greater context to this story that you might be familiar with and perhaps parts of the story that you’re not as familiar with. Schwab: You know what? I feel like it’s a great week to talk about Hanukkah. What are we gonna be talking about? High Priest pouring oil over the menorah. Schwab: I’m Jonathan Schwab and I am in school forever. Yael: I’m Yael Steiner and my childhood dream was to stay in school forever. Schwab: Welcome to Jewish History Unpacked where we do exactly what it sounds like, unpack awesome stories in Jewish history. ![]()
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