Jerusalem, Israel—The president of the Jerusalem Interfaith Forum invited forum members to his home to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Rabbi Yaakov Luft hosted the celebration at his home in Mevaseret Zion (near Jerusalem) on December 2, 2021. Fifteen people gathered to light the candles, celebrate and study together.
Rabbi Luft offered words of wisdom about Hanukkah and explained the traditions of the holiday. Professor Danny Orbach from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem spoke about the meaning of light in the Shinto tradition, Father Masoud Abu-Hatoum described the preparations of the Greek Catholic community for Christmas, and Sheik Samir Aasi, the former imam of the Al-Jazzar Mosque in Acre, sent words of peace and friendship via a video call.
Rabbi Luft's family embraced the interfaith group with warm hospitality. They prepared delicious holiday dishes and, of course, sufganiot, the traditional doughnut-like pastry, providing a sweet closing to the program.