My name is Miriam. I am ten years old. I want to tell you about a special time of year for me and my family and all Jewish people. It's called the feast of Hanukaah (sometimes spelled Chanukah).

Hanukaah means "dedication." In the year 165 B.C., the Hebrew people fought to free Israel from the people who had conquered it - the Syrians. After the battle, these brave Jews celebrated. They could step into their holy place, the great temple in Jerusalem -- the center of the Jewish religion.

The Hebrews wanted to dedicate the temple to God once again. But there was a big problem. The custom was to keep a light burning in the temple to remind the people of God's presence. But after the war, very little holy oil could be found for the oil-burning lamps. How could they find enough holy oil to keep the lamps burning to dedicate their temple?

The Jews of Israel trusted God and lit the lamps. To their surprise, the small amount of holy oil lasted eight whole days. Today, Jewish people continue this celebration of freedom and trust in God with the feast of Hanukaah. For eight days, families gather together to light candles on a special candlestick called a Menorah.

There are other religious feasts the Jewish people consider more important even than Hanukaah. But Hanukaah is a wonderful time, especially for kids. Each night, we give each other small gifts. We sing traditional songs and parents give kids gold-foil wrapped chocolate coins. There's even a special game for Hanukaah. It's played with a unusual top called a dreidel.

I really like Hanukaah. Thanks for letting me share the story of Hanukaah with you!

Reported by,

Miriam S., 10, Illinois