This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.
FILE - Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - A couple take a photograph in front of a display of copies of Prince Harry's book 'Spare" in the window of a book shop in London, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Prince William, center, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE _ Britain's King Charles III, from bottom left, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets members of the public as he arrives for a visit to Barton Neighbourhood Centre in Oxford, England Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The centre is a hub for local residents which houses a doctor's surgery, food bank, cafe and youth club. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)
Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)
FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle, ride in a carriage after their wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
Britain's Prince Harry kisses and greets his father Prince Charles upon their separate arrival to attend a coral reef health and resilience meeting with speeches and a reception with delegates at Fishmongers Hall in London, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to veterans as he attends the official opening ceremony of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Harry speaks with people from the RFU Try for Change programme during a visit to an England Rugby Squad training session at Twickenham Stadium in London. Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in early 2020, and Buckingham Palace on Friday Feb. 19, 2021, confirmed the couple will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, right, as he reacts after shaking hands with kids holding up a sign during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Monday, April 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool, File)
FILE Britain Prince Harry, center, plays a game of sitting volleyball during the launch of the Invictus Games for wounded warriors at the Copper Box arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Thursday, March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, center, with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stops for the media outside Lancaster House as they arrive to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, on Feb. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, wears his monocle gun sight as he sits in the front seat of his cockpit at the British controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, smiles after playing rugby at Flamengo's beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry dances with a girl during a visit to the non-governmental organization RISE - Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry during a photo call at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury in Shropshire, England, Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry poses with children from the Mophane Primary school, in Gaborone, Botswana, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Shayne Robinson, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, left, talks to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who was born in Zimbabwe, before the international rugby match between England and South Africa at Twickenham stadium in west London, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
Britain's Princess Anne, left, presents Prince Harry with his campaign medal, in Windsor, England, Monday May 5, 2008. The 23-year-old Prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, is among around 160 members of the Household Cavalry who served in Afghanistan this winter to receive the decoration. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, pool)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry on patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir Jan. 2, 2008, close to FOB (forward operating base) Delhi, where he was posted in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan. (John Stillwell, Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, second from right, grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II smiles, as she inspects the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Dylan Martinez, pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, 18, punches the air as he leaves Eton College on his last day at the top public school where he has been a pupil for five years, in Windsor, England, on June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his sons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, in London on Sept. 6, 1997. (John Gaps III/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, File)
FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)
FILE - The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London on Sept. 16, 1984 with their new baby son, Prince Harry who was born on Sept. 15. (AP Photo, File)
PHOTO COLLECTION: Britain's Prince Harry turns 40
PHOTO COLLECTION: Britain's Prince Harry turns 40
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)
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FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)
Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)
FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
FILE - Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - A couple take a photograph in front of a display of copies of Prince Harry's book 'Spare" in the window of a book shop in London, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Prince William, center, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II being pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, second right, Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince Harry, left, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, second left, leave after they paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall for the Lying-in State, in London, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE _ Britain's King Charles III, from bottom left, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England on Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
FILE - From left, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, in Windsor, England, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Kirsty O'Connor/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet with Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, and his wife Leah in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. (Henk Kruger/Pool via AP, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets members of the public as he arrives for a visit to Barton Neighbourhood Centre in Oxford, England Tuesday, May 14, 2019. The centre is a hub for local residents which houses a doctor's surgery, food bank, cafe and youth club. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)
Britain's Prince William, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, second left, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, right, arrive to attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoFrank Augstein)
FILE - The royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with from left, Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, as they watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, July 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle, ride in a carriage after their wedding ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, near London, England, Saturday, May 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
Britain's Prince Harry kisses and greets his father Prince Charles upon their separate arrival to attend a coral reef health and resilience meeting with speeches and a reception with delegates at Fishmongers Hall in London, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle pose for photographers during a photocall in the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, Monday Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry smiles as he speaks to veterans as he attends the official opening ceremony of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Harry speaks with people from the RFU Try for Change programme during a visit to an England Rugby Squad training session at Twickenham Stadium in London. Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in early 2020, and Buckingham Palace on Friday Feb. 19, 2021, confirmed the couple will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, second left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Prince Harry take part in a relay race, during a training event to promote the charity Heads Together, at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in London, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, right, as he reacts after shaking hands with kids holding up a sign during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, Monday, April 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Lukas Coch, Pool, File)
FILE Britain Prince Harry, center, plays a game of sitting volleyball during the launch of the Invictus Games for wounded warriors at the Copper Box arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Thursday, March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, center, with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stops for the media outside Lancaster House as they arrive to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, on Feb. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, wears his monocle gun sight as he sits in the front seat of his cockpit at the British controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, smiles after playing rugby at Flamengo's beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry dances with a girl during a visit to the non-governmental organization RISE - Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education, in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday March 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Collin Reid, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry during a photo call at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury in Shropshire, England, Thursday June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry poses with children from the Mophane Primary school, in Gaborone, Botswana, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Shayne Robinson, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, left, talks to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who was born in Zimbabwe, before the international rugby match between England and South Africa at Twickenham stadium in west London, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
Britain's Princess Anne, left, presents Prince Harry with his campaign medal, in Windsor, England, Monday May 5, 2008. The 23-year-old Prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, is among around 160 members of the Household Cavalry who served in Afghanistan this winter to receive the decoration. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, pool)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry on patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir Jan. 2, 2008, close to FOB (forward operating base) Delhi, where he was posted in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan. (John Stillwell, Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, second from right, grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II smiles, as she inspects the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Dylan Martinez, pool, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, left, after the marriage of their father Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the Guildhall in Windsor, England, after their civil wedding ceremony, on April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, 18, punches the air as he leaves Eton College on his last day at the top public school where he has been a pupil for five years, in Windsor, England, on June 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his sons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, in London on Sept. 6, 1997. (John Gaps III/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, File)
FILE - The Princess of Wales holds son Prince Harry while royal families posed for photographers at the Royal Palace, Mallorca, Spain, Aug. 9, 1987. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)
FILE - The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London on Sept. 16, 1984 with their new baby son, Prince Harry who was born on Sept. 15. (AP Photo, File)
PHOTO COLLECTION: Britain's Prince Harry turns 40
PHOTO COLLECTION: Britain's Prince Harry turns 40
FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)
Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900.
For some rabbis, the intersection of the two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith engagement.
“This can be a profound opportunity for learning and collaboration and togetherness,” said Rabbi Josh Stanton, a vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America. He oversees interfaith initiatives involving the 146 local and regional Jewish federations that his organization represents.
“The goal is not proselytizing; it's learning deeply from each other,” he said. “It’s others seeing you as you see yourself.”
One example of togetherness: a Chicanukah party hosted Thursday evening by several Jewish organizations in Houston, bringing together members of the city’s Latino and Jewish communities for a “cross cultural holiday celebration." The venue: Houston’s Holocaust museum.
The food on offer was a blend of the two cultures — for example a latke bar featuring guacamole, chili con queso and pico de gallo, as well as applesauce and sour cream. The doughnut-like pastries were sufganiyot — a Hanukkah specialty — and buñuelos, And the mariachi band took a crack at playing the Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila.”
“What really brings us together is our shared values — our faith, our families, our heritage,” said Erica Winsor, public affairs officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.
Rabbi Peter Tarlow, executive director of the Houston-based Center for Latino-Jewish Relations, said the first Chicanukah event 12 years ago drew 20 people, while this year the crowd numbered about 300, and could have been larger had not attendance been capped. He said the party-goers were a roughly even mix of Latinos — some of them Jews with Latin American origins — and “Anglo” Jews.
“There’s too much hate, too much separation against both Jews and Latinos,” Tarlow said. “This is a way we can come together and show we support each other.”
While Hanukkah is intended as an upbeat, celebratory holiday, rabbis note that it’s taking place this year amid continuing conflicts involving Israeli forces in the Middle East, and apprehension over widespread incidents of antisemitism.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, acknowledged that many Jews may be feeling anxious heading into Hanukkah this year. But he voiced confidence that most would maintain the key tradition: the lighting of candles on menorah candelabras and displaying where they’re visible through household windows and in public spaces.
“The posture of our community — without stridency, just with determination — is that the menorah should be in our windows, in a place where the public sees it,” Hauer said.
“It is less for us, the Jewish community, than for the world,” he added. “We have to share that light. Putting the menorah in the window is our expression of working to be a light among the nations.”
Hauer concurred with Stanton that this year’s overlap of Hanukkah and Christmas is “an exceptional opportunity to see and experience the diversity of America and the diversity of its communities of faith.”
Rabbi Motti Seligson, public relations director for the Hasidic movement Chabad-Lubavitch, noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of a milestone in the public lightings of menorahs. It was on Dec. 8, 1974 — as part of an initiative launched by the Lubavitcher leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson — that a menorah was lit outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell was housed at the time.
"Hanukkah is a celebration of religious liberty, so that it’s not taken for granted,” Seligson said. “One of the ways of doing that is by celebrating it publicly.”
He said Chabad was organizing about 15,000 public menorah lightings this year through its numerous branches around the world.
“There certainly is some apprehension,” Seligson said, referring to concerns about antisemitism and political friction. “Some people question whether Jews will be celebrating as openly as in the past.”
“What I’m hearing is there’s no way that we can’t,” he added. “The only way through these difficult times is by standing stronger and prouder and shining brighter than ever.”
Stanton concurred.
“Through our history, we’ve been through moments that are easy and moments that are hard,” he said. “Safety for us does not come from hiding. It comes from reaching out.”
Why is Hanukkah so late this year? The simple answer is that the Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles, and is not in sync with the Gregorian calendar which sets Christmas on Dec. 25. Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, a date which occurs between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar.
The last time Hanukkah began on Christmas Day was in 2005. But the term “Chrismukkah” — signifying the overlap of the two holidays — had become a popular term before then. The term gained extra currency in 2003, when the character Seth Cohen on the TV drama “The O.C.” embraced the fusion holiday as a tribute to his Jewish father and Protestant mother.
This season, the Hallmark Channel introduced a new Christmas movie called “Leah’s Perfect Gift,” depicting a young Jewish woman who had admired Christmas from a distance, and gets a chance to experience it up close when her boyfriend invites her to spend the holidays with his family. Spoiler alert: All does not go smoothly.
Despite such storylines suggesting a fascination with Christmas among some Jews, Stanton says research by the Jewish Federations reveals a surge in Jews seeking deeper connections to their own traditions and community, as well as a surge in Jews volunteering for charitable activities during the holidays.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Guests listen to speakers during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Benjamin Warren hugs Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo after she spoke during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Attendees listen to speakers during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Dr. Annette Goldberg dances with Sheldon Weisfeld during a Chicanukah mariachi performance at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Altagracia Vazquez performs with her daughter Ariana, 6, and Mariachi Palmeros during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Guests add guacamole and pico de gallo to latkes during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Guests enjoy a performance by Mariachi Palmeros during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Jacob Monty joins Rabbi Peter Tarlow at the podium during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Rabbi Peter Tarlow lights a candle on a menorah during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)