Hanukkah 5781
A great miracle took place: In the 2nd century BCE, Judea was ruled by the Seleucids (Greco-Syrians), who wanted to force the Jews to deny the Torah and accept Greek culture and beliefs. But a small group of Jews, led by the Maccabee family, defeated them, drove them out of the country, and purified the Temple. When they tried to light the seven-branched candelabra, they found only one vial of undefiled olive oil. However, they lit it, and the oil barely enough for a day lasted eight days. To commemorate and make known these miracles the Sages instituted the festival of Chanukkah.
Diffusion of light: The synagogue in Kazan (Tatarstan, Russia) was built in 1915. In 1920, it was confiscated by the Soviet authorities. A portrait of Lenin will even be incorporated into the walls. Gradually the synagogue is deteriorating. When it is returned to the local Jewish community in 1996, it will be in a state of disrepair. A few years later, a renovation is undertaken, which will be completed in September 2015.
A hanukkiah was placed in front of the building.