“Hanukkah is not always right around Christmas… yet the two holidays have kind of become analogous to one another in the US.”

— Rachel Greenspan

In an atmosphere where Christmas steals the spotlight and occupies the airwaves, can Hanukkah find appreciation as a meaningful holiday that explores multiple powerful themes relevant to our modern world?

Does the religious fusion practiced by interreligious families (such Chrismukkah celebrations) dilute the meaning of both holidays or create a new space for deepened faith?

And does the practice of gift giving take away from the intended meaning of Hanukkah?

This episode of the Living Jewishly podcast is an instalment of What Would You Do?, a podcast about Judaism and ethics. Dr. Elliot Malamet and guests Rachel Greenspan and Jeffrey Goldwasser investigate the ethics of our approach to winter holidays, how we can hold onto our religious identities while integrating new traditions, and where to find balance in the rise of holiday consumerism.

The guests for this episode are Rachel Greenspan, a digital culture editor at Insider, and Jeffrey Goldwasser, the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai in Cranston, Rhode Island.

“There’s no doubt that Hanukkah gift giving has become a more significant marker of the holiday.”

— Jeffrey Goldwasser

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

✔ Why and how gift giving became such an important part of Hanukkah — and the role that Christmas has played in this

✔ How to hold onto our identity and navigate the integration of new traditions into our holidays

✔ Why it’s important to tie the teachings of Hanukkah into how we experience our modern world