An amulet making and candle lighting event for the seventh night of Hanukkah 5784. All welcome!

Amulet Making

Diasporic Jews have tucked plants and other special objects inside a pouch as a protective amulet throughout history. In traditional Jewish amulet making, fragrant herbs, salt, red thread, Hebrew letters or text, eyes, and hamsas are often included. This practice invites us into an embodied experience of building resilience in a world that can so frequently leave us feeling brokenhearted. You’re invited to make an amulet for yourself and/or someone who could use a little extra protection.

Candle Lighting

Jews and Palestinians are woven together, and solidarity is the only way forward. We take heart knowing that there’s a long lineage of anarchist(ic) Jews who’ve actively resisted Zionism and fascism. As we light the Hanukkah candles, we call on those ancestors to guide our actions and aid us in keeping liberatory flames lit. “The fight against fascism isn’t about ‘allyship’; it is a personal and direct fight for our lives. And that knowledge has put a fire in our hearts, as both anarchists and Jews.” —Fayer Collective, Atlanta

Storytelling

Words have special powers for Jews—from the mystical to the humorous. It is said that if a single letter is left out of a sacred text, one destroys the whole world. Words can also mend this world. They are carriers of traditions, cultures, and memories, beyond borders and states. Jews use words on holidays like Hanukkah to illuminate moments of resistance and what it means for everyone to be free. You’re invited to read or share a story of resistance from a Jewish text or one that speaks to your rebellious heart.

The organizer of this event marked it kid-friendly. 😛