The HIDDEN History of Hannukah: Maccabees, Civil War, and Why It Matters TODAY | Jonah Platt

Why is Hanukkah actually celebrated? Jonah Platt explores the hidden history of the Maccabees, the Jewish civil war, and why the "miraculous oil" story was created centuries later. In this special monologue episode of Being Jewish, Jonah Platt dives deep into the complexities of the Hanukkah story that you didn’t learn in Hebrew school. From the "Hanukkah antisemitism" of the Seleucid Empire to the internal power struggles and religious extremism of the Hasmonean dynasty, we look at how ancient history mirrors the modern Jewish experience. In this episode, we discuss: - The Second Front: The forgotten civil war between the Maccabees and Hellenized Jews. - Religious Extremism: How the Hasmonean kings sowed the seeds of their own destruction. - The Dreidel & The Oil: Separating historical facts from beautiful folklore and European gambling games. - Adaptation as Survival: Why Hanukkah’s modern importance is a testament to Jewish resilience in the Diaspora. -From Fight to Light: Shifting the focus from military dominance to spiritual endurance. Whether it’s a "delayed Sukkot" or a visibility ritual for minority communities, Hanukkah reminds us that Jewish meaning isn't fixed—it is conferred by us. Join Jonah as he reflects on how to turn our current "fights" into "light" to ensure the Jewish spirit endures for another 2,000 years. Subscribe for more deep dives into Jewish identity, history, and culture. #Hanukkah #JewishHistory #JonahPlatt #BeingJewish #Maccabees #JewishIdentity #Israel #Antisemitism #Talmud #JewishCulture