Happy Hanukkah from the Nathans in Miami: A Slideshow, A Reminder of What The Holiday Is, and Why We Shine the Light

A gorgeous Miami Chanukah with the Nathan family is in photos below. ??? We lit the first candle on my menorah—a gift of a T-rex from Brian; gave presents, including lots of nice little finds we picked up in Mexico; and we got ready to leave after a fun 8-night visit. It was my first Chanukah with a Jewish family, so lovely and lively.

Slideshow: click to enlarge.

Happy Hanukkah from the Nathans in Miami: A Slideshow, A Reminder of What The Holiday Is, and Why We Shine the Light

Jánuka—decidedly not the Jewish Christmas—is about self-determination and survival. It’s about being proud of who you are, and that’s more important now than ever as antisemitism rises. I do worry at times that I tokenize or trivialize by having so much fun with Judaism and holidays like Chanukah. The gear and gifts—from Modern Tribe and others—are kitschy and make me super happy, and I’m a a new Jew, so I don’t want to ever give the impression that I don’t know history, traditions, and what different Jews do and believe.

I always have the history and meaning of what I’m doing on my mind, especially on the heels of events lately: a ruling on the white fascists who organized the Charlottesville marches in 2017; far right gun model K*le R*****h***e getting off; and a Jew, Eli Kay, being murdered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Those are just a few examples, and others are below.

We light these lights for eight nights to remind us and those watching us that we are not going away.

Happy Chanukah.

חג חנוכה שמח