The Light We Need This Holiday Season

There’s something about the holiday season that warms the soul. Whether it’s the smell of sugar cookies baking, snow-dusted treetops, or the joy of family traditions, it’s soothing nature is one we eagerly await year round. As an Orthodox Jew, lighting my childhood menorah, savoring a fresh latke, and singing zemirot are my favorite customs, ones that cement the specialness of the season.

This year feels even more special as Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa—three famed December holidays in America—all align within the same week and day, overlapping as we transition to the new year of 2025. Though I do not celebrate Christmas or Kwanzaa, I love this alignment; it stands as a symbolic reminder of the light and goodness we all can share, regardless of who we are or where we come from.

For Jews like me, this year’s calendar holds an extra layer of significance. January 1, 2025, isn’t just the start of the Gregorian New Year. It also marks the second-to-last day of Hanukkah, and Rosh Chodesh Tevet (The first day of the month Tevet-whose root meaning is “good.”) On this same day, we read the Torah portion Vayigash. Vayigash reads:

“Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 46:3).

G‑d’s message wasn’t solely one of consolation, it was a reminder that regret over challenge is often short-sighted. He reminds Jacob that challenges and setbacks, no matter how daunting, are often the very crucible in which greatness is forged.

In 2024, we’ve faced our own heart wrenching challenges and exiles. War continues in our homeland and overseas, division tears at our communities, and hate continues to fight its way back into our narratives. In moments like these of perceived darkness, G‑d reminds us that light and darkness cannot coexist. Every challenge offers us the space and time to forge greatness.

Look around your neighborhood this season. The menorahs glowing in windows, Christmas lights adorning homes, and the kinaras of Kwanzaa. Each of these lights, in each community, have a purpose of sharing the strength that comes from hope, resilience, and faith. What can be more great then these messages being shared worldwide?

It is common in many countries to set intentions and resolutions for the New Year. Just as common as writing these down though, is the failures to commit because the goals are unattainable or much more work then we expected.

This year, let’s set better goals. I urge you to continue to commit yourself to being a light in the darkness. Let’s commit to standing up to hate, and lending a helping hand in and out of our communities. Let’s give what we can, whether it is charity, a listening ear or simple open arms.

Together, we are stronger, and together, we can overcome any darkness.

Happy Holidays and may you be a light for your nation.