some of the festivities are being tempered by the## ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and# concerns We spoke with people across the country about what## Hanukkah means to them and if they're# celebrating REBEKAH LOWIN, New York: I'm Rebekah Lowin.
DAVID BERENSON, Ohio RABBI JILL PERLMAN, Temple Isaiah:# I'm Rabbi Jill Perlman, and I serve## as the senior rabbi at Temple# GADI PELEG, Owner, Breads# Bakery: My name is Gadi Peleg,## and I'm the founder and owner of# Breads RABBI MARC BAKER, President and CEO, Combined# Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston: My## The Hanukkah holiday feels incredibly poignant# and in some ways too relevant this year.
Hanukkah## first and foremost is a story about resistance.# It's about our willingness to stand up and fight## against people who would try to do us harm.# And it's a story about the courage to overcome.
RABBI JILL PERLMAN: Certainly, in our synagogue,# and I know in synagogues across the country,## we will be holding close the over 130# hostages that are still being held in Gaza We are hoping and praying for peace in# the region and that all who are suffering,## the innocent who are suffering in Gaza, in Israel,# that that suffering is able to come to an end## and we're able to find a solution that will be# one in which all will ultimately be at peace.
REBEKAH LOWIN: I run a Jewish focused# lifestyle blog.
So I recently had a post## take off on Instagram about how to celebrate# in this year, given everything that's going on,## both in the Middle East, again, and here# at home with the rise of antisemitism.
Moses said it best: "I have set before you life# and death, blessing and curse.
Oh, that you w choose life so that you and your children# may live."
So go ahead and host, celebrate,## decorate, bake cupcakes with tiny potatoes on# them.
Whatever you do, just don't do it lightly.
So I think one reason why the video went# viral is that people within the Jewish## community are looking for that permission# to resume normal life and to celebrate this## holiday that we all love so much and# to do it with some joy in our hearts.
GADI PELEG: It is, of course, the celebration# of the miracle of the oil, and that miracle## is celebrated by eating sufganiyah --# they're jelly doughnuts -- and latkes.
We are seeing a huge demand for all of# our Hanukkah items as people are eager to## celebrate this holiday, which has particular# importance and particular meaning this year.
RABBI MARC BAKER: We need to# come together as a community## and publicly to say we're proud of# who we are and get in the way of us celebrating our# tradition and our past and our stories.
DAVID BERENSON: We have family coming in# from out of town that we don't always have## around Hanukkah.
I don't know what to# anticipate with our family discussions## this year.
I'm kind of looking forward to it,# even though it may be challenging at a time,## because you get 10 people together in a# room, and you get 15 different perspectives.
RABBI JILL PERLMAN: We can hold multiple emotions## and multiple reactions to what# is happeni There is sadness and even some despair over the# ongoing war in Israel and in Gaza.
But we're## also going to continue to hold onto hope# and make sure that we are finding the joy## of this holiday and the joy of just what# it means to be alive each and every day.