Comunidade Judaica do Algarve
וראגלאב תידוהיה הליהק
Jewish Community of Algarve
The Jewish
Community of Algarve will be celebrating
Chanukah,
the
Festival of Lights,
with a picnic lunch in Portimão, on
Sunday 21st of
December.
The history of
Chanukah
is recorded in the Deuterocanonical book of the Maccabees. It goes back some
twenty-two centuries when the Jewish people were under the rule of Antiochus
IV of Syria. Antiochus attempted to Hellenise Jews and erected idols and
statues for them to worship. In the small village of Modin, near Jerusalem,
Mattisyahu, an old man was forced by soldiers to bow to an idol. He refused
and had to flee for his life to the mountains. From there he created a
guerrilla army against the oppressors. After his death, he was succeeded by
Judah the Maccabee who defeated the Syrian army thereby re-conquering the
badly desecrated Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was cleaned, but when
relighting the
Menorah
(an eight armed candelabra) there was only sufficient oil for one day and it
would take a week to prepare more. But the oil lasted for eight days. It is
this miracle and the spiritual survival of Judaism that is commemorated and
celebrated. Members of the Community will be lighting their Menorahs at the
lunch.
Further info from
Ralf Pinto tel. 282416710. fax 282416515
VISITE O
SITE
http://www.farojewishheritagecentre.org/
Tel: +351 282 416 710
Fax: +351 282 416 515
Ralf.Pinto@sapo.pt
