One of my dreams is to go to graduate school to study comparative religions. (Actually, the dream entails attending Harvard Divinity School, which probably won’t happen in this lifetime unless I win the lottery.) I love studying different religions and incorporating elements that appeal to me into my belief system.

I’m sorry to say that one religion that I don’t know much about is Judaism. Fortunately, a dear friend sent me a beautiful article about Hanukkah, which, this year, started this evening, December 12, through the evening of December 20. The author, a prominent female rabbi, ties the Hanukkah story, which is about the “rededication” and restoration of the ancient temple in Jerusalem, to individuals’ need to rededicate and restore themselves. It seems to me that this is a good reminder for people of all faiths, not just for Jews.

So, dear reader, I invite you to read Can’t Start a Fire without a Spark — Thoughts on Hanukah [sic] by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg .