“When is the Jewish Christmas this year?” How many times have all of us heard that question or some variant over the course of our lifetimes? Sometimes I begin to explain the differences between Christmas and Chanukah; other times I simply respond, “This year Chanukah begins on the night of December 25.” To the casual observer the observance of the two holidays seems similar. They’re both solstice celebrations that have been adapted to fit different historical circumstances: the birth of... Read more