TYLER, Texas — Congregation Beth El in Tyler celebrated its first night of Hanukkah - the Jewish festival of lights on Thursday.
Inside his congregation, Rabbi Neal Katz is honing in on the meaning of the start of an eight night celebration.
"We are celebrating the miracle of what happened 2,200 years ago," said Katz.
As Rabbi Katz explains it, Hanukkah is a military story.
"There was something called the Maccabean revolt, the leadership in Jerusalem at that time, were fighting against what are called Syrian Greeks... and so there was a three year revolt to reclaim for the sake of religious liberty and Jewish independence..." said Katz.
Hanukkah, which means "dedication", commemorates the miracle of light that occurred when Judah rededicated the temple to the Hebrew God.
This year, the Jewish holiday is taking on extra meaning with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Thursday marks two months since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, killing more than 1,200 individuals and taking more than 200 other hostages.
In Tyler and all around the world, families will gather to commemorate the holiday, eat traditional foods and sing blessings.
Rabbi Katz is also inviting the community to check out their annual Chanukah Klezmer concert that begins at 7 p.m. at True Vine in Tyler on Monday.