# #180: Chanukah - Celebrating the War We Didn't Win?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win.md
Podcast: [History for the Curious - The Jewish History Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442)
Published: 2025-12-11T21:00:58+00:00
Episode link: https://rabbiaubreyhersh.podbean.com/e/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didnt-win/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/zisihcc4nc6z9u7s/HC073_-_Ep_180_-_Chanuka_Assembled_mixdown88gg8.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/history-for-the-curious-the-jewish-history-podcast-4092442/episodes/180-chanukah-celebrating-the-war-we-didn-t-win
Duration seconds: 3061

## Resource

Chanukah is central to our Jewish Calendar and way of life, but there are many unanswered questions: Why celebrate defeat? What was the real role of Kohanim during the Second Temple? Why was this Yomtov chosen to reflect the ultimate ideal ? Tracing the story from Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzaddik through the corruption of the Second Temple and the rise of Hellenism, the podcast redefines the central idea of Chanukah - the only festival established by the Sages post-prophecy Connecting the ancient clash of civilizations to the battles which echo down through Russia, America and Eretz Yisrael; It defines Who is a Jew. Timestamps [0:00:00] Introduction to Greek Exile and Historical Context [0:01:07] Podcast Dedication and Welcome [0:02:05] Setting Up the Hanukkah Discussion [0:04:13] Questioning the Purpose of Hanukkah Celebration [0:14:44] Historical Prequel: Alexander the Great and Shimon HaTzadik [0:22:49] Corruption of the Priesthood [0:26:38] Empire Dynamics After Alexander [0:31:05] Jewish Attraction to Greek Culture [0:40:41] The Spiritual Victory of Hanukkah [0:49:26] Comparing Purim and Hanukkah [0:50:44] Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-up

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