Many connections can be made between vegetarianism and the festival of Chanukah. Among them:
• According to the Book of Maccabees, some Maccabees lived on a diet of plants since they were unable to get kosher meat when they hid in the mountains to avoid capture.
• The foods most associated with Chanukah — latkes and sufganiot, or fried dougnuts — are vegetarian foods. The oils used in their preparation are a reminder of the oil used in the lighting of the menorah during the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean victory.
• Chanukah represents the triumph of nonconformity. The Maccabees stuck to their beliefs, rather than succumbing to external pressure. They were willing to say: “This I believe, this I stand for, this I am willing to struggle for.” Today, vegetarians represent nonconformity. At a time when most people in the wealthier countries think of animal products as the main part of their meals, when the number of McDonald’s and similar fast-food establishments are growing rapidly, when almost all celebrations involve an abundance of animal products, vegetarians are resisting and insisting that there is a better, healthier, more humane diet.
• Chanukah represents the victory of the few, who practiced God’s teachings, over the many, who acted according to the values of the surrounding society. Today vegetarians are a very small minority in most countries, but they believe that, consistent with God’s original diet (Genesis 1:29), and religious mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, preserve natural resources and share with hungry people, vegetarianism is the dietary approach most consistent with Jewish values.
• Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil that was enough for only one day, but miraculously lasted for eight. An international switch to vegetarianism could help cause an even greater miracle: the end of world hunger. The hunger problem results in the death of an estimated 20 million people annually, while over a third of the world’s grain is fed to animals destined for slaughter.
• Chanukah also commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by the Syrian Greeks. The Hebrew root of the word Chanukah means dedication. Today, a shift to vegetarianism can be a major factor in the rededication and renewal of Judaism, because it would show that Jewish values are relevant to everyday Jewish life and to addressing current problems such as hunger, pollution, resource scarcity, global climate change and huge health-care expenditures.
• Candles are lit during each night of Chanukah, symbolizing a turning from darkness to light, from despair to hope. According to the prophet Isaiah, the role of Jews is to be a “light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). Vegetarianism can be a way of adding light to the darkness of a world with slaughterhouses, factory farms and vivisection laboratories, as well as other symbols of oppression.
• Chanukah commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from the Syrian Greeks. So, today, vegetarianism can be a step toward deliverance from modern problems such as hunger, pollution and resource scarcities.
• On the Sabbath during Chanukah, the Haftarah portion indicates that difficulties can best be overcome “not by might and not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Today, Jewish vegetarians are arguing that the way to a better, less violent world is not by exercising our power over animals, but by applying the spirit of God, “whose tender mercies are over all of His creatures” (Psalm 145:9).
• The Hebrew root of the word Chanukah also means education. Jewish vegetarians believe that if Jews were educated about the horrible realities of factory farming and the powerful Jewish mandates about taking care of our health, showing compassion to animals, protecting the environment, conserving resources, and helping hungry people, they would seriously consider switching to vegetarian diets.
In view of these connections, Jews may want to enhance their celebrations of the spiritually meaningful holiday of Chanukah by making it a time to begin striving harder to live up to Judaism’s highest moral values and teachings by moving toward vegetarianism.
Richard Schwartz is the N.Y.-based author of “Judaism and Vegetarianism.”