#hanukah

#hanukah

Our hanukiah is ridiculous. I love it precisely for its absurdity; a chunky, oversized piece designed by a dear friend and crafted from aircrete. It looks like a forgotten set piece from The Flintstones. In a family home that also contains challah covers, mezuzahs, kippot and Shabbat candles, our menorah is easily the most overtly Jewish thing we own. Its presence badges us immediately. Brash and proud.

At dawn on Friday, people came in their thousands, in their many colours and their many tribes, to be back in the sea. In this time of darkness, let's spread light, love and compassion, the crowd was urged, before thousands took surfboards and rescue boards, or simply swam out to join together in a mammoth circle in the sea, facing the middle of the beach.