Light at the End of the Tunnel: Celebrating Hanukkah in 2020 with JSA
Leah Berman-Kress ‘22, President of the Jewish Student Association (JSA)
Hanukkah begins the evening of Thursday, December 10th this year, but just like many other holidays in 2020, the observance of this Hanukkah will be different than usual. We interviewed Leah Berman-Kress ‘22, President of the Jewish Student Association (JSA) and Communications major, about her plans for celebrating Hanukkah in a pandemic and how she finds inspiration in the story of Hanukkah.
While JSA usually has an active presence on campus, this year they have had to pivot with how they share and celebrate various traditions. While in year’s past the JSA might try to organize an event on-campus, this year they’re encouraging their members and others interested in celebrating to participate in the Hillel Jewish University Center’s dreidel tournament.
Leah mentions that what makes Hanukkah special to her is the chance to celebrate with family, eat great food, and most importantly, light the candles on the menorah. “It’s a time to get together and a time to celebrate. Usually my family and our family friends always gets together and we do a gift exchange. Everyone brings jelly donuts or latkes. It’s a lot of fried food because of the oil in the [Hanukkah] story. But this year we will be unable to do that,” she says.
However, Leah does not lose hope because the story of Hanukkah is especially relevant this year during the pandemic. She shares the story of Hanukkah fondly and details what it means to her, when she says, “Basically, the short version is that there were the Maccabees that were trying to defend a temple and they used this oil that lit for eight nights and it was not supposed to (as oil typically lasted for one day.)”
“It is really a story about perseverance, keeping your head up and defending what you believe is right. All of that is relevant today. Although it is disappointing that everyone can’t see their families right now, it’s really important to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the symbolism inherent in the traditional lighting of menorah candles is very apt. This has been a long and hard year, but one that shows our strength, endurance, and willingness to learn during hard times.
Happy Hanukkah! We hope that you see the light at the end of the tunnel and continue to celebrate togetherness and hope in all their forms.
