Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Pageant of Lights, begins this yr on Christmas Day, solely the fourth time that’s occurred since 1900.

For some rabbis, the intersection of the 2 spiritual holidays supplies an auspicious event for interfaith engagement.

“This could be a profound alternative for studying and collaboration and togetherness,” mentioned Rabbi Josh Stanton, a vp of the Jewish Federations of North America. He oversees interfaith initiatives involving the 146 native and regional Jewish federations that his group represents.

“The aim isn’t proselytizing; it is studying deeply from one another,” he mentioned. “It’s others seeing you as you see your self.”

One instance of togetherness: a Chicanukah occasion hosted Thursday night by a number of Jewish organizations in Houston, bringing collectively members of town’s Latino and Jewish communities for a “cross cultural vacation celebration.” The venue: Houston’s Holocaust museum.

The meals on supply was a mix of the 2 cultures — for instance a latke bar that includes guacamole, chili con queso and pico de gallo, in addition to applesauce and bitter cream. The doughnut-like pastries have been sufganiyot — a Hanukkah specialty — and buñuelos, And the mariachi band took a crack at enjoying the Jewish folks tune “Hava Nagila.”

“What actually brings us collectively is our shared values — our religion, our households, our heritage,” mentioned Erica Winsor, public affairs officer for the Jewish Federation of Larger Houston.

Rabbi Peter Tarlow, govt director of the Houston-based Middle for Latino-Jewish Relations, mentioned the primary Chicanukah occasion 12 years in the past drew 20 folks, whereas this yr the group numbered about 300, and will have been bigger had not attendance been capped. He mentioned the party-goers have been a roughly even mixture of Latinos — a few of them Jews with Latin American origins — and “Anglo” Jews.

“There’s an excessive amount of hate, an excessive amount of separation in opposition to each Jews and Latinos,” Tarlow mentioned. “This can be a approach we will come collectively and present we help one another.”

Whereas Hanukkah is meant as an upbeat, celebratory vacation, rabbis be aware that it’s going down this yr amid persevering with conflicts involving Israeli forces within the Center East, and apprehension over widespread incidents of antisemitism.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, govt vp of the Orthodox Union, acknowledged that many Jews could also be feeling anxious heading into Hanukkah this yr. However he voiced confidence that the majority would preserve the important thing custom: the lighting of candles on menorah candelabras and displaying the place they’re seen by means of family home windows and in public areas.

“The posture of our neighborhood — with out stridency, simply with willpower — is that the menorah ought to be in our home windows, in a spot the place the general public sees it,” Hauer mentioned.

“It’s much less for us, the Jewish neighborhood, than for the world,” he added. “We now have to share that mild. Placing the menorah within the window is our expression of working to be a light-weight among the many nations.”

Hauer concurred with Stanton that this yr’s overlap of Hanukkah and Christmas is “an distinctive alternative to see and expertise the variety of America and the variety of its communities of religion.”

Rabbi Motti Seligson, public relations director for the Hasidic motion Chabad-Lubavitch, famous that this yr marks the fiftieth anniversary of a milestone within the public lightings of menorahs. It was on Dec. 8, 1974 — as a part of an initiative launched by the Lubavitcher chief, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson — {that a} menorah was lit outdoors Philadelphia’s Independence Corridor, the place the Liberty Bell was housed on the time.

“Hanukkah is a celebration of non secular liberty, in order that it’s not taken with no consideration,” Seligson mentioned. “One of many methods of doing that’s by celebrating it publicly.”

He mentioned Chabad was organizing about 15,000 public menorah lightings this yr by means of its quite a few branches around the globe.

“There actually is a few apprehension,” Seligson mentioned, referring to issues about antisemitism and political friction. “Some folks query whether or not Jews can be celebrating as overtly as previously.”

“What I’m listening to is there’s no approach that we will’t,” he added. “The one approach by means of these troublesome occasions is by standing stronger and prouder and shining brighter than ever.”

Stanton concurred.

“Via our historical past, we’ve been by means of moments which are simple and moments which are onerous,” he mentioned. “Security for us doesn’t come from hiding. It comes from reaching out.”

The final time Hanukkah started on Christmas Day was in 2005. However the time period “Chrismukkah” — signifying the overlap of the 2 holidays — had turn out to be a well-liked time period earlier than then. The time period gained further forex in 2003, when the character Seth Cohen on the TV drama “The O.C.” embraced the fusion vacation as a tribute to his Jewish father and Protestant mom.

This season, the Hallmark Channel launched a brand new Christmas film referred to as “Leah’s Good Present,” depicting a younger Jewish girl who had admired Christmas from a distance, and will get an opportunity to expertise it up shut when her boyfriend invitations her to spend the vacations along with his household. Spoiler alert: All doesn’t go easily.

Regardless of such storylines suggesting a fascination with Christmas amongst some Jews, Stanton says analysis by the Jewish Federations reveals a surge in Jews looking for deeper connections to their very own traditions and neighborhood, in addition to a surge in Jews volunteering for charitable actions throughout the holidays.

“The chance is to share with others how we have fun Hanukkah,” he mentioned. “It’s a vacation of freedom, hope, exhibiting proudly you’re Jewish.” ___

Related Press faith protection receives help by means of the AP’s collaboration with The Dialog US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely chargeable for this content material.