Hanukkah is here! This Festival of Lights is so bright, it is sure to make the cooler winter nights warm and full of joy. Throughout Israel, giant hanukkiyot (plural for hanukkiyah, the 9 branched candelabrum that we light during the festival) are in all the city squares, on the corners of streets, in the center of Army bases, and on the roof of the Knesset (parliament).

One of my favorite places to go to see the lighting is the Western Wall—Kotel. There, at the foot of the Wall, is a large hanukkiyah. Jews from all walks of life gather for the lighting, including many Jews who do not look outwardly observant. This festival has an appeal and an ease with which seemingly non-observant Jews can connect with Jewish life without the requirements and restrictions that we find in the Torah-mandated festivals.