Rabbi P.J. Schwartz is the rabbi educator at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos, CA. He is married to his college sweetheart, Michelle, a special education teacher.
I choose to believe that we all have been enslaved at some point in our lives. Perhaps we have been chained to our fears, worries, and doubts. We may have faced addictions, coped with hardship, and sunk to the lowest depths of all that keeps us down.
While there are numerous customs and traditions associated with celebrating Hanukkah at home, there is not necessarily one right way to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
The only obligation we have as Jews is to kindle our hanukkiyot (Hanukkah menorah).
Dr. Ron Wolfson, in his book, Shabbat: The Family Guide to Preparing for and Celebrating the Sabbath, appropriately notes that while there are specific rituals that are part of every Shabbat, each Shabbat experience is different.