I went to school with a girl whose mother, Professor Yaffa Eliach, was a Holocaust survivor and scholar. One of her most powerful contributions was the Tower of Life, a permanent exhibition at the US Holocaust museum in Washington DC. The Tower contains 1500 photos of Jews from her hometown of Eishyshok prewar.
Prof Eliach devoted her life to the observation of the memory of the Holocaust from the vantage point of a survivor. She preserved their memories on audio tapes after hours upon hours of interviews. In the preface to her book, Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust she describes a conversation she had with my friend who has a young girl at the time.
One day the faithful tape recorder fell off the desk and broke. My friend said, “it didn’t break, it committed suicide, how can one take recorder listen to so much tragedy”.
While the stories in the book may be tragic, there is also so much majesty and greatness of spirit which is recorded within, stories that can inspire us to this day.
They are the legacy which is left to us by the survivors and the messages Professor Eliach sought to capture for eternity.
Chanukah is soon upon us.
We are eager to celebrate this joyous Festival of Lights and all the yummy traditions that accompany the holiday.
Prof Eliach tells us a story about Chanukah in Bergen Belsen.
The Nazis were well versed in the Jewish calendar. All Jewish holidays were fodder for even more brutality.
That eve of Chanukah a horrible selection took place in a barrack which resulted in a horrific massacre. When it was over, the Nazis left heaps of hundreds of tortured and murdered Jews.
And then it was time to light the Chanukah lights.
There were no silver candelabra or brimming cups of glistening olive oil. The inmates improvised with a wooden clog for the Menora, some strings pulled out of uniforms for wicks and black shoe polish for oil.
In that barracks was the Hasidic Rabbi of Bluzhov. He was asked to light the lights on behalf of the living skeletons who survived the selection.
The Rabbi recited the two first blessings in a melodious voice that stirred those present.
But then it came time for the third blessing.
On the first night of Chanukah we add an additional blessing of the Shehechiyanu. We thank Gd Who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this moment.
When the Rabbi was about to recite the third blessing he paused, turned around and appeared to be searching for something.
Then he turned back to the lights and in a strong reassuring voice, chanted the Shehechiyanu blessing.
As soon as the Rabbi concluded, one of inmates approached him and asked him how he could, in good conscience make that third blessing. The need to light candles in the darkness, that the inmate understood. The second blessing attests to historical miracles that happened in the past-fine.
But, how, he asked the Rabbi, can you thank Gd when we have just lost hundreds of our brethren whose bodies are “literally lying within the shadows of the Chanukah lights. This is called ‘keeping us alive?’”

The Rabbi acknowledged the question,in fact he had the same thought and wasn’t sure if he should recite the blessing. At that moment he turned his head, hoping to catch sight of a Rabbi to whom to pose the question. But when he turned his head he saw the whole “congregation” who despite the darkness that surrounds them, attend with such faith and fervor. This incredible sight of Jews who were filled with faith made the Rabbi realize he not only could make the blessing but was in fact obligated to do so in front of such an exalted group.
Perhaps you have seen the footage that has just been released showing the beautiful six hostages during their incarceration in the Hamas terror tunnels.
Unbelievably they are celebrating Chanukah.
They too have found a way to create a makeshift Menora and the video captures the reciting of the blessings and singing.
“The footage reveals the hostages filmed in extreme conditions. Despite the darkness of the tunnel and the evident presence of their captors, the six hostages appear standing, lighting the candles for the holiday, a gesture filled with dignity and spirituality at the heart of their captivity “. I24News
Our Sages teach us that the presence of Gd cannot be expressed in this world beneath 10 handsbreadths from the ground. This is a mystical idea to indicate that Gds presence doesn’t really connect with our world. But, on Chanukah, the Divine light does come down and reaches the lowest places and brings light to every tunnel, to every concentration camp, to every lost and abandoned soul wherever they may be.
On Chanukah, the light of the Menora shines so brightly and helps light the way for anyone who is struggling in their own darkness.
When Hersh Polin was in 9th grade, he wrote a journal which he threw into the trash. His mother, Rachel, found his writings and saved them. The family knew about this for years. Recently , Hersh’s sister asked to read the manuscript. She was amazed because the words were almost prophetic.
Hersh wrote that people go through all kinds of tunnels in their lives, “what’s certain is that I’m walking al the way to the end of the tunnel.”
On Chanukah, no matter what tunnel a Jew may find themselves in, the lights of Chanuka will find us and illuminate the way.
The situation may be so dark and so hopeless yet those sparks of light ignite something deep within our soul that illuminates our path forward.
When we light our Chanukah candles this Sunday evening we should take some time to sit quietly and stare into those lights. It’s a reflection of the primordial light, the lights which are reflected in our very souls.
When you light a candle, no matter how you hold it, the flame always points upward, may these amazing souls who celebrated Chanukah in the darkest of places, illuminate our way with their dignity and faith.
Happy Chanukah 🕎
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!!