By lighting the first candle, Jews in Bosnia-Herzegovina begin celebrating Hanukkah, a holiday of light and liberation.
“Hannukah is not only a holiday of light but of freedom. The Hanukkah commemorates the liberation of the Jews from captivity during the Babylonian Empire, “President of the Jewish Community of BiH Jakob Finci stated.
Jews in BiH and all around the world celebrate tonight Hannukah or the Festival of lights and remember the historical event when the Jews in Jerusalem rededicated the Holy Temple after three years of war against the Greeks.
On this day, 167 years before A.D., the Jews opposed to the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes who tried to Helenize the Jews and to forbid them their prayers to one God. In Bosnia, among other customs, it’s tradition to prepare the “Hannukah halva cake” on this occasion.
Happy Hannukah!
