When she was young, graduate student Emily Reetz and her family would enjoy dinner in the dark on the last night of Hanukkah amid only the soft glow of 45 candles.
"When I was little, I remember my family and I lighting five menorahs during Hanukkah," she said. "On the last night of Hanukkah, we would turn off the lights in our house and eat dinner by the firelight."
This year, many Jewish MSU students were thankful they were able to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah with their families over Thanksgiving break.
"For the first time in four years, Jewish students were able to spend the beginning of Hanukkah at home," said Jennifer Stotter, president of the Jewish Student Union. "We are so used to celebrating the holiday by ourselves or with friends at school and it was nice to celebrate with family for a change."
When Jewish students are unable to be with family during the holiday, some sought the comforts of the MSU Hillel Jewish Student Center, 360 Charles St., to celebrate with friends, music education senior Yael Rothfeld said.
"Coming to Hillel allows me to be with friends and celebrate being Jewish," she said. "Now that we have a new building and resources, we really are able to make a connection with other Jewish students on campus."
In front of the gleam of candy apple red and pumpkin orange flames in the fireplace behind her at Hillel, Stotter slowly knelt down behind the nine gold-stunted menorah and lit eight multicolored candles, demonstrating how and why the menorah is lit each night during Hanukkah.
Hillel held Hanukkah services and events throughout the holiday for students.
On Tuesday, Hillel held a candle lighting ceremony followed by services from Rabbi Morton Hoffman, who spoke on the significance of relating the Hanukkah story with the struggle to keep Israel alive.
Since one of the traditions of the holiday is to eat food prepared with oil, students took part in a traditional Hanukkah meal with potato latkes, bagels and doughnuts.
On Wednesday, Hillel sponsored a Hanukkah party and latke feast.
For MSU Hebrew lecturer Ellen Rothfeld, Hanukkah is a time to celebrate the religious freedom for Jewish people, as well as people in other religious groups.
"The significance of Hanukkah is celebrating freedom of religion for Jewish people and our freedom to live and observe in an open society," she said.
"Many years ago when the Syrians conquered Jewish people, (the Jews) were unable to practice their faith openly and were forced to educate their people in hiding. It wasn't until the Maccabee's were able to defeat the Syrians, that Jewish people were able to observe their religion openly," she said.
She also said Americans should appreciate the freedoms they have.
"There are still many people in certain areas of the world today who don't enjoy the freedoms we have in America and face persecution for practicing their religion," she said. "This is why this holiday is pertinent to people of all faiths who have the ability to celebrate their religions openly."
Hillel will celebrate Hanukkah at 6 p.m. today with a candle lighting ceremony followed by services and dinner.
