Hanukkah: Light and Memory
On a winter evening, a family gathers beside a row of glowing candles. They are marking Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that connects memories of the past with traditions practiced today. The lights are a familiar part of the holiday, but the ways families celebrate can differ.
A Temple Rededicated
According to My Jewish Learning’s account of Hanukkah, the history of the holiday begins more than 2,000 years ago in Judea, a region that included Jerusalem. At the time, a Greek-speaking ruler named Antiochus IV controlled the area. He restricted Jewish religious practices and turned the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem into a place used for the worship of Greek gods.
A group of Jewish fighters known as the Maccabees rebelled. After fighting against the ruler’s forces, they regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. To rededicate it meant to prepare it once again as a sacred place for Jewish worship. Hanukkah remembers that rededication. The holiday’s name comes from a Hebrew word associated with dedication.
- restricted:
- Limited or controlled what people could do.
- sacred:
- Considered holy or especially important to a religion.
- dedication:
- The act of setting something apart for an important purpose.
- miracle:
- An extraordinary event believed to have a divine cause.
- evidence:
- Information used to support or test an idea.
- customs:
- Ways of doing things that people in a group practice.
- observe:
- To mark or take part in a holiday or tradition.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What central idea connects the history and present-day practices described in the passage?
- 2Why did the Maccabees rebel against Antiochus IV?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Hanukkah: Light and Memory” is a explanatory article reading passage about Hanukkah Traditions, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 4 minutes to read (550 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.