Sustainable Chanukah

It is one of those years, the ones where we all marvel at how early or late the festivals are. And Chanukah is especially early this year, beginning on Sunday 28th November, which has struck a cord of panic in many parental hearts. And yet, it seems right to have this light-filled festival begin just as we end a month of negotiations, debates, and tentative commitments. Whether you feel that COP26 was just ‘blah blah’ or a sign that governments and big business are truly looking to make changes, the focus and debate around climate change has pervaded many aspects of our lives and conversations.

The tension between how much we as individuals can do and affect, versus the actions and the significant effect that can only be made at a national or global level, is still ongoing. The answer is, of course, that both have to happen, our personal commitments and actions AND big scale policy decisions in governments and businesses will be needed.

And then we come to Chanukah, the festival that began as an uprising or a miracle, depending on who tells the story. It’s also an account of bringing more light to the world and of making resources stretch, which are all themes we recognise today. And yet, in many households Chanukah has become a festival of consumption, of buying and using and wanting more. There is nothing wrong with wanting to bring a smile and good food to people, and lift the mood at a dark time of the year. But for many people, especially children, the main focus has become the presents and wanting things rather than the important messages of the festival. 

I am not advocating trying to go back to a time where a little gelt or a handful of nuts was the mainstay of Chanukah. Instead I think we should consider how we can make Chanukah more sustainable, and perhaps shift the focus away from consumption, and instead focus on commitment. It was in this light that Jason (a gifted illustrator) and I created the Sustainable Chanukiah, which asks each person or household to commit to eight actions for the next year that can help in the fight against climate change. Whether you choose to focus on things in your own home; buying less ready-made food and thereby cutting down on single use plastic, or committing to speaking out more in our workplaces or at demonstrations, or changing your electricity supplier to truly renewable energy, or joining a local climate group, Chanukah reminds us that there are many ways we can bring more light into this world, which are not based on buying or wanting more.

Write down your commitments in each candle and keep it as a reminder during the year. Children can also help by colouring in all the different people, reminding us of the beauty and strength when people come together. 

In the space of the shammash (the candle that lights the other ones) we have added a blazing chanukiah, and above it we ask you to write the name of a person that can help re-inspire you when you feel your flame might dim during the year.
The miracle of COP26 was watching all the people, especially the younger generations, raise their voices and thereby help rekindle the flames of older generations.

And so, we hope the Sustainable Chanukah commitments can help kindle/rekindle your flame for Chanukah.