Caption	A Hanukkiya or Hanukkah Menorah
Holiday name	Hanukkah
Official name	Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה or חנוכה English translation: "Establishing" or "Dedication" (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
Nickname	Festival of Lights, Festival of Dedication
Observedby	Jews
Begins	25 Kislev
Ends	2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
Celebrations	Lighting candles each night. Singing special songs, such as Ma'oz Tzur. Reciting Hallel prayer. Eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods. Playing the dreidel game, and giving Hanukkah gelt
Type	Jewish festival
Significance	The Maccabees successfully rebelled against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day's lighting.
Relatedto	Purim, as a rabbinically decreed holiday.
Date2011	Sunset, December 20 to sunset, December 28

Hanukkah (, Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, nowadays usually spelled חנוכה in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukah or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of 8 branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash (Hebrew: שמש, "attendant" or "sexton") and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves is forbidden.

Etymology

The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb "חנך", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple.

Many homiletical explanations have been given for the name: The name can be broken down into חנו כ"ה, "they rested [on the] twenty-fifth", referring to the fact that the Jews ceased fighting on the 25th day of Kislev, the day on which the holiday begins.

חנוכה (Hanukkah) is also the Hebrew acronym for ח נרות והלכה כבית הלל — "Eight candles, and the halakha is like the House of Hillel". This is a reference to the disagreement between two rabbinical schools of thought — the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai — on the proper order in which to light the Hanukkah flames. Shammai opined that eight candles should be lit on the first night, seven on the second night, and so on down to one on the last night. Hillel argued in favor of starting with one candle and lighting an additional one every night, up to eight on the eighth night. Jewish law adopted the position of Hillel.

Historical sources

Mishna

The story of Hanukkah, along with its laws and customs, is entirely missing from the Mishna apart from several passing references (Bikkurim 1:6, Rosh HaShanah 1:3, Taanit 2:10, Megillah 3:4 and 3:6, Moed Katan 3:9, and Bava Kama 6:6). Rav Nissim Gaon postulates in his Hakdamah Le'mafteach Hatalmud that information on the holiday was so commonplace that the Mishna felt no need to explain it. Reuvein Margolies suggests that as the Mishnah was redacted after the Bar Kochba revolt, its editors were reluctant to include explicit discussion of a holiday celebrating another relatively recent revolt against a foreign ruler, for fear of antagonizing the Romans.

In the Talmud

Hanukkah is described in the Talmud. The Gemara, in tractate Shabbat 21, focuses on Shabbat candles and moves to Hanukkah candles and says that after the forces of Antiochus IV had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost all of the ritual olive oil had been profaned. They found only a single container that was still sealed by the High Priest, with enough oil to keep the menorah in the Temple lit for a single day. They used this, yet it burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready).

The Talmud presents three options: # The law requires only one light each night per household, # A better practice is to light one light each night for each member of the household # The most preferred practice is to vary the number of lights each night. Except in times of danger, the lights were to be placed outside one's door, on the opposite side of the Mezuza, or in the window closest to the street. Rashi, in a note to Shabbat 21b, says their purpose is to publicize the miracle.

Narrative of Josephus

The ancient Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus narrates in his book Jewish Antiquities XII, how the victorious Judas Maccabbeus ordered lavish yearly eight-day festivities after rededicating the Temple in Jerusalem that had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Josephus does not say the festival was called Hannukkah but rather the "Festival of Lights":

"Now Judas celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon; but he feasted them upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he honored God, and delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs, when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for their posterity, that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival. Judas also rebuilt the walls round about the city, and reared towers of great height against the incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He also fortified the city Bethsura, that it might serve as a citadel against any distresses that might come from our enemies."

In other ancient sources

The story of Hanukkah is alluded to in the book of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees but Hanukkah is not specially mentioned; rather, a story similar in character, and obviously older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees 1:18 et seq according to which the relighting of the altar fire by Nehemiah was due to a miracle which occurred on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for the selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee.

Another source is the Megillat Antiochus. This work (also known as "Megillat HaHasmonaim", "Megillat Hanukkah" or "Megillat Yevanit") is in both Aramaic and Hebrew; the Hebrew version is a literal translation from the Aramaic original. Recent scholarship dates it to somewhere between the 2nd and 5th Centuries, probably in the 2nd Century, with the Hebrew dating to the seventh century. It was published for the first time in Mantua in 1557. Saadia Gaon, who translated it into Arabic in the 9th Century, ascribed it to the Maccabees themselves, disputed by some, since it gives dates as so many years before the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE. The Hebrew text with an English translation can be found in the Siddur of Philip Birnbaum.

The Christian Bible refers to Jesus being at the Jerusalem Temple during "the feast of the dedication and it was winter" in John 10:22-23.

Story of Hanukkah

oil-burning Hanukkah menorah from Israel circa 1948, by Maurice Ascalon.]]

Background

Judea was part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt until 200 BCE when King Antiochus III the Great of Syria defeated King Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt at the Battle of Panium. Judea became at that moment part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria. King Antiochus III the Great wanting to conciliate his new Jewish subjects guaranteed their right to "live according to their ancestral customs" and to continue to practice their religion in the Temple of Jerusalem. However in 175 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus III invaded Judea, ostensibly at the request of the sons of Tobias. The Tobiads, who led the Hellenizing Jewish faction in Jerusalem, were expelled to Syria around 170 BCE when the high priest Onias and his pro-Egyptian faction wrested control from them. The exiled Tobiads lobbied Antiochus IV Epiphanes to recapture Jerusalem. As the ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus tells us "The king being thereto disposed beforehand, complied with them, and came upon the Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and slew a great multitude of those that favored Ptolemy, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months."

Traditional view

When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and the services stopped, Judaism was effectively outlawed. In 167 BCE Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He banned circumcision and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple.

Antiochus's actions proved to be a major miscalculation as they were massively disobeyed and provoked a large-scale revolt. Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons Jochanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus. Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi ("Judah the Hammer"). By 166 BCE Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 165 BCE the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated.

The festival of Hanukkah was instituted by Judah Maccabee and his brothers to celebrate this event. After recovering Jerusalem and the Temple, Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made. According to the Talmud, olive oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was required to burn throughout the night every night. The story goes that there was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. Jews believe that this was a miracle. An eight day festival was declared by the Jewish sages to commemorate this miracle.

The version of the story in 1 Maccabees, on the other hand, states that an eight day celebration of songs and sacrifices was proclaimed upon re-dedication of the altar, and makes no mention of the miracle of the oil. A number of historians believe that the reason for the eight day celebration was that the first Hanukkah was in effect a belated celebration of the festivals of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. During the war the Jews were not able to celebrate Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret properly; the combined festivals also last eight days, and the Sukkot festivities featured the lighting of lamps in the Temple (Suk.v. 2–4).

It has also been noted that the number eight has special significance in Jewish theology, as representing transcendence and the Jewish People's special role in human history. Seven is the number of days of creation, that is, of completion of the material cosmos. Eight, being one step beyond seven, represents the Infinite. Hence, the Eighth Day of the Assembly festival, mentioned above, is according to Jewish Law a festival for Jews only (unlike Sukkot, when all peoples were welcome in Jerusalem). Similarly, the rite of brit milah (circumcision), which brings a Jewish male into God's Covenant, is performed on the eighth day. Hence, Hanukkah's eight days (in celebration of monotheism over Hellenistic humanism) have symbolic importance for practicing Jews.

Modern interpretations

personnel light candles on Hanukkah]] Some modern scholars argue that the king was intervening in an internal civil war between the traditionalist Jews and the Hellenized Jews in Jerusalem.

These competed violently over who would be the High Priest, with traditionalists with Hebrew/Aramaic names like Onias contesting with Hellenizing High Priests with Greek names like Jason and Menelaus. In particular Jason's Hellenistic reforms would prove to be a decisive factor leading to eventual conflict within the ranks of Judaism. Other authors point to possible socioeconomic reasons in addition to the religious reasons behind the civil war.

What began in many respects as a civil war escalated when the Hellenistic kingdom of Syria sided with the Hellenizing Jews in their conflict with the traditionalists. As the conflict escalated, Antiochus took the side of the Hellenizers by prohibiting the religious practices the traditionalists had rallied around. This may explain why the king, in a total departure from Seleucid practice in all other places and times, banned a traditional religion.

Hanukkah rituals

in Donetsk, Ukraine]] Hanukkah is celebrated by a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the 8-day holiday, some are family-based and others communal. There are special additions to the daily prayer service, and a section is added to the blessing after meals. Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath, as specified in the Shulkhan Arukh. Adherents go to work as usual, but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. There is no religious reason for schools to be closed, although, in Israel, schools close from the second day for the whole week of Hanukkah. Many families exchange gifts each night, and fried foods are eaten.

Kindling the Hanukkah lights

: The single light each night for eight nights. As a universally practiced "beautification" of the mitzvah, the number of lights lit is increased by one each night. An extra light called a shamash, meaning "attendant" or "sexton," So all together, including the shamash, two lights are lit on the first night, three on the second and so on, ending with nine on the last night, for a total of 44 (36, excluding the shamash). , Hanukkah Menorah Lighting, Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C., 1979]]

The lights can be candles or oil lamps. The blessings are said before or after the candles are lit depending on tradition. On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle, lamp, or electric) is lit on the right side of the Menorah, on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first candle and so on, proceeding from right to left over the eight nights. On each night, the leftmost candle is lit first, and lighting proceeds from left to right.

For the full text of the blessings, see List of Jewish prayers and blessings: Hanukkah.

Hanerot Halalu

During or after the lights are kindled the hymn Hanerot Halalu is recited. There are several differing versions; the version presented here is recited in many Ashkenazic communities:

Maoz Tzur

Each night after the lighting of the candles, while remaining within sight of the candles, some observant Ashkenazim (and, in recent decades, some Sephardim and Mizrahim in Western countries) sing the hymn Ma'oz Tzur written in Medieval Germany. The song contains six stanzas. The first and last deal with general themes of divine salvation, and the middle four deal with events of persecution in Jewish history, and praises God for survival despite these tragedies (the exodus from Egypt, the Babylonian captivity, the miracle of the holiday of Purim, and the Hasmonean victory).

Other customs

After lighting the candles and Ma'oz Tzur, singing various other Hanukkah songs is customary in many Jewish homes. Various Hasidic and Sephardic traditions have additional prayers that are recited both before and after lighting the Hanukkah lights. This includes the recitation of many Psalms, most notably Psalms 30, 67, and 91 (many Hasidim recite Psalm 91 seven times after lighting the lamps, as was taught by the Baal Shem Tov), as well as other prayers and hymns, each congregation according to its own custom. In North America and in Israel it is common to exchange presents or give children presents at this time. In addition, many families encourage their children to give tzedakah for at least one of the nights, in lieu of presents for themselves.

Additions to daily prayers

An addition is made to the "hoda'ah" (thanksgiving) benediction in the Amidah, called Al ha-Nissim ("On/about the Miracles"). This addition refers to the victory achieved over the Syrians by the Hasmonean Mattathias and his sons.

The same prayer is added to the grace after meals. In addition, the Hallel Psalms are sung during each morning service and the Tachanun penitential prayers are omitted. The Torah is read every day in the synagogue, the first day beginning from Numbers 6:22 (according to some customs, Numbers 7:1), and the last day ending with Numbers 8:4. Since Hanukkah lasts eight days it includes at least one, and sometimes two, Jewish Sabbaths (Saturdays). The weekly Torah portion for the first Sabbath is almost always Miketz, telling of Joseph's dream and his enslavement in Egypt. The Haftarah reading for the first Sabbath Hanukkah is Zechariah 2:14–4:7. When there is a second Sabbath on Hanukkah, the Haftarah reading is from I Kings 7:40–50. The Hanukkah menorah is also kindled daily in the synagogue, at night with the blessings and in the morning without the blessings. The menorah is not lit on the Sabbath, but rather prior to the beginning of the Sabbath at night and not at all during the day. During the Middle Ages "Megillat Antiochus" was read in the Italian synagogues on Hanukkah just as the Book of Esther is read on Purim. It still forms part of the liturgy of the Yemenite Jews. This account of Judith’s involvement with the events of Chanukah serves to explain the requirement of women to participate in the rituals of Hanukkah and the origins of the custom of eating dairy during the holiday.

Significance

The classical rabbis downplayed the military and nationalistic dimensions of Hanukkah, and some even interpreted the emphasis upon the story of the miracle oil as a diversion away from the struggle with empires that had led to the disastrous downfall of Jerusalem to the Romans. With the advent of Zionism and the state of Israel, these themes were reconsidered. In modern Israel, the national and military aspects of Hanukkah became, once again, more dominant.

In North America especially, Hanukkah gained increased importance with many Jewish families in the latter half of the twentieth century, including large numbers of secular Jews, who wanted a Jewish alternative to the Christmas celebrations that often overlap with Hanukkah. Though it was traditional among Ashkenazi Jews to give "gelt" or money coins to children during Hanukkah, in many families this has changed into gifts in order to prevent Jewish children from feeling left out of the Christmas gift giving.

While Hanukkah traditionally speaking is a relatively minor Jewish holiday, as indicated by the lack of religious restrictions on work other than a few minutes after lighting the candles, in North America, Hanukkah has taken a place equal to Passover as a symbol of Jewish identity. Both the Israeli and North American versions of Hanukkah emphasize resistance, focusing on some combination of national liberation and religious freedom as the defining meaning of the holiday.

Hanukkah music

There are several songs associated with the festival of Hanukkah. The most well known in English-speaking countries include "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" and "Chanukah, Oh Chanukah". In Israel, Hanukkah has become something of a national holiday. A large number of songs have been written on Hanukkah themes, perhaps more so than for any other Jewish holiday. Some of the best known are "Hanukkiah Li Yesh" ("I Have a Hanukkah Menora"), "Ocho Kandelikas" ("Eight Little Candles"), "Kad Katan" ("A Small Jug"), "S'vivon Sov Sov Sov" ("Dreidel, Spin and Spin"), Haneirot Halolu" ("These Candles which we light"), "Mi Yimalel" (Who can Retell") and "Ner Li, Ner Li" ("I have a Candle").

Hanukkah foods

/ doughnuts at a Jerusalem bakery]] There is a custom of eating foods fried or baked in oil (preferably olive oil), as the original miracle of the Hanukkah menorah involved the discovery of a small flask of pure olive oil used by the Jewish High Priest, the Kohen Gadol. This small batch of olive oil was only supposed to last one day, and instead it lasted eight.

/ Potato pancake frying in olive oil]] Accordingly, potato pancakes, known as latkes in Yiddish, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah, especially among Ashkenazi families, as they are prepared by frying in oil.

Similarly, many Sephardic, Polish and Israeli families have the custom of eating all kinds of jam-filled doughnuts (), bimuelos (fritters) and sufganiyot which are deep-fried in oil. Bakeries in Israel have popularized many new types of fillings for sufganiyot besides the traditional strawberry jelly filling, including chocolate cream, vanilla cream, cappucino and others. In recent years, there have also appeared downsized, "mini" sufganiyot" containing half the calories of the regular, 400-to-600-calorie version.

There is also a tradition of eating cheese products on Hanukkah that is recorded in rabbinic literature. This custom is seen as a commemoration of the involvement of Judith and thus women in the events of Hanukkah (see Judith and Holofernes above).

Hanukkah games

s / Spinning tops in a Jerusalem market]]

Dreidel

The dreidel, or sevivon in Hebrew, is a four-sided spinning top that children play with on Hanukkah. Each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter. These letters are an acronym for the Hebrew words נס גדול היה שם (Nes Gadol Haya Sham, "A great miracle happened there"), referring to the miracle of the oil that took place in the Beit Hamikdash.

נ (Nun)

ג (Gimel)

ה (Hey)

ש (Shin)

On many dreidels sold in Israel, the fourth side is inscribed with the letter פ (Pe), rendering the acronym נס גדול היה פה (Nes Gadol Haya Po, "A great miracle happened here"), referring to the fact that the miracle occurred in the land of Israel. Stores in Haredi neighbourhoods sell the traditional Shin dreidels as well.

Some Jewish commentators ascribe symbolic significance to the markings on the dreidel. One commentary, for example, connects the four letters with the four exiles to which the nation of Israel was historically subject: Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. side up]] After lighting the Hanukkah menorah, it is customary in many homes to play the dreidel game: Each player starts out with 10 or 15 coins (real or of chocolate), nuts, raisins, candies or other markers, and places one marker in the "pot." The first player spins the dreidel, and depending on which side the dreidel falls on, either wins a marker from the pot or gives up part of his stash. The code (based on a Yiddish version of the game) is as follows:

Nun–nisht, "nothing"–nothing happens and the next player spins

Gimel–gants, "all"–the player takes the entire pot

Hey–halb, "half"–the player takes half of the pot, rounding up if there is an odd number

Shin–shtel ayn, "put in"–the player puts one marker in the pot

Another version differs:

Nun–nim, "take"–the player takes one from the pot

Gimel–gib, "give"–the player puts one in the pot

Hey–halb, "half"–the player takes half of the pot, rounding up if there is an odd number

Shin–shtil, "still" (as in "stillness")–nothing happens and the next player spins

The game may last until one person has won everything.

Some say the dreidel game is played to commemorate a game devised by the Jews to camouflage the fact that they were studying Torah, which was outlawed by Greeks. The Jews would gather in caves to study, posting a lookout to alert the group to the presence of Greek soldiers. If soldiers were spotted, the Jews would hide their scrolls and spin tops, so the Greeks thought they were gambling, not learning.

Hanukkah gelt

Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish for "money") is often distributed to children to enhance their enjoyment of the holiday. The amount is usually in small coins, although grandparents or other relatives may give larger sums as an official Hanukkah gift. In Israel, Hanukkah gelt is known as dmei Hanukkah. Many Hasidic Rebbes distribute coins to those who visit them during Hanukkah. Hasidic Jews consider this to be an auspicious blessing from the Rebbe, and a segulah for success. Rabbi Abraham P. Bloch has written that “The tradition of giving money (Chanukah gelt) to children is of long standing. The custom had its origin in the seventeenth-century practice of Polish Jewry to give money to their small children for distribution to their teachers. In time, as children demanded their due, money was also given to children to keep for themselves. Teen-age boys soon came in for their share. According to Magen Avraham (18th cent.), it was the custom for poor yeshiva students to visit homes of Jewish benefactors who dispensed Chanukah money (Orach Chaim 670). The rabbis approved of the custom of giving money on Chanukah because it publicized the story of the miracle of the oil.” Twentieth-century American chocolatiers picked up on the gift/coin concept by creating chocolate gelt.

Judith and Holofernes

The eating of dairy foods, especially cheese, on Hanukkah is a minor custom that has its roots in the story of Judith. The deuterocanonical book of Judith (Yehudit or Yehudis in Hebrew), which is not part of the Tanach, records that, Holofernes, an Assyrian general, had surrounded the village of Bethulia as part of his campaign to conquer Judea. After intense fighting, the water supply of the Jews is cut off and the situation became desperate. Judith, a pious widow, told the city leaders that she had a plan to save the city. Judith went to the Assyrian camps and pretended to surrender. She met Holofernes, who was smitten by her beauty. She went back to his tent with him, where she plied him with cheese and wine. When he fell into a drunken sleep, Judith beheaded him and escaped from the camp, taking the severed head with her (the beheading of Holofernes by Judith has historically been a popular theme in art). When Holofernes' soldiers found his corpse, they were overcome with fear; the Jews, on the other hand, were emboldened, and launched a successful counterattack. The town was saved, and the Assyrians defeated. There is a longstanding Jewish tradition that Judith was the daughter of Yochanan the Kohen Gadol (and consequently a sister of Mattathias the Hasmonean and an aunt of Judah the Maccabee). In the Rema's gloss on the Shulchan Aruch he writes “There are authorities (Kol Bo and the RaN) who say that one should eat cheese on Hanukkah, because the miracle was performed with milk that Judith fed the enemy.” The Chofetz Chaim there adds in his Mishna Berurah on the words “that Judith fed,” “She was the daughter of Yochanan, the Kohen Gadol. There was a decree that every espoused bride should submit to the dignitary first before the consummation of her marriage. She fed cheese to the head of the oppressors in order to intoxicate him and cut his head and they all fled.”

Alternative spellings

In Hebrew, the word Hanukkah is written or (Ḥǎnukkâh). It is most commonly transliterated to English as Chanukah or Hanukkah, the former because the sound represented by "CH" (, similar to the Scottish pronunciation of "loch") does not exist in the English language. Furthermore, the letter "chet" (), which is the first letter in the Hebrew spelling, is pronounced differently in modern Hebrew (voiceless uvular fricative) than in classical Hebrew (voiceless pharyngeal fricative), and neither of those sounds is unambiguously representable in English spelling. Moreover, the 'kaf' consonant is geminate in classical (but not modern) Hebrew. Adapting the classical Hebrew pronunciation with the geminate and pharyngeal Ḥeth can lead to the spelling "Hanukkah"; while adapting the modern Hebrew pronunciation with no gemination and uvular Ḥeth leads to the spelling "Chanukah".

In Simple(6,74) English(7,74) Gematria(8,74) there are two codes being dealt with: [1] the number of letters in a word, name, or phrase is significant, i.e. Hanukkah(8)/Chanukah(8) and Passover(8) are each an eight-day(8) festival(8) and [2] the sum of the most basic letter-number substitution is significant using the key(74) of A=1...Z=26, i.e. Jewish=74 Hanukkah=75 Menorah=74.

History

Timeline

198 BCE: Armies of the Seleucid King Antiochus III (Antiochus the Great) oust Ptolemy V from Judea and Samaria.

175 BCE: Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) ascends the Seleucid throne.

168 BCE: Under the reign of Antiochus IV, the Temple is looted, Jews are massacred, and Judaism is outlawed.

167 BCE: Antiochus orders an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. Mattathias, and his five sons John, Simon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah lead a rebellion against Antiochus. Judah becomes known as Judah Maccabe (Judah The Hammer).

166 BCE: Mattathias dies, and Judah takes his place as leader. The Hasmonean Jewish Kingdom begins; It lasts until 63 BCE

165 BCE: The Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy is successful. The Temple is liberated and rededicated (Hanukkah).

142 BCE: Establishment of the Second Jewish Commonwealth. The Seleucids recognize Jewish autonomy. The Seleucid kings have a formal overlordship, which the Hasmoneans acknowledged. This inaugurates a period of great geographical expansion, population growth, and religious, cultural and social development.

139 BCE: The Roman Senate recognizes Jewish autonomy.

131 BCE: Antiochus VII dies. The Hasmonean Jewish Kingdom throws off Syrian rule completely

130 BCE: Antiochus VII besieges Jerusalem, but withdraws.

96 BCE: An eight year civil war begins.

83 BCE: Consolidation of the Kingdom in territory east of the Jordan River.

63 BCE: The Hasmonean Jewish Kingdom comes to an end because of rivalry between the brothers Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II, both of whom appeal to the Roman Republic to intervene and settle the power struggle on their behalf. The Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) is dispatched to the area. Twelve thousand Jews are massacred as Romans enter Jerusalem. The Priests of the Temple are struck down at the Altar. Rome annexes Judea.

Battles of the Maccabean revolt

There were a number of key battles between the Maccabees and the Seleucid Syrian-Greeks:

Battle of Adasa (Judas Maccabeus leads the Jews to victory against the forces of Nicanor.)

Battle of Beth Horon (Judas Maccabeus defeats the forces of Seron.)

Battle of Beth-zechariah (Elazar the Maccabee is killed in battle. Lysias has success in battle against the Maccabess, but allows them temporary freedom of worship.)

Battle of Beth Zur (Judas Maccabeus defeats the army of Lysias, recapturing Jerusalem.)

Dathema (A Jewish fortress saved by Judas Maccabeus.)

Battle of Elasa (Judas Maccabeus dies in battle against the army of King Demetrius and Bacchides. He is succeeded by Jonathan Maccabaeus and Simon Maccabaeus who continue to lead the Jews in battle.)

Battle of Emmaus (Judas Maccabeus fights the forces of Lysias and Georgias).

Battle of Wadi Haramia.

Dates

The dates of Hanukkah are determined by the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins at the 25th day of Kislev and concludes on the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet (Kislev can have 29 or 30 days). The Jewish day begins at sunset, whereas the Gregorian calendar begins the day at midnight. Hanukkah begins on sunset of the date listed.

December 1, 2010

December 20, 2011

December 8, 2012

November 27, 2013

December 16, 2014

December 6, 2015

December 24, 2016

December 12, 2017

December 2, 2018

December 22, 2019

December 10, 2020

Hanukkah in the White House

in the Oval Office, receiving a Hanukkah Menorah as a gift from the Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion (center). To the right is Abba Eban, the Ambassador of Israel to the United States.]]The United States has a history of recognizing and celebrating Hanukkah in a number of ways, from menorah lighting ceremonies to a 1996 postage stamp, jointly issued with Israel, to special receptions in the White House (although the United States has not had any Jewish presidents).

One of the earliest links with the White House occurred in 1951, when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion presented United States President Harry Truman with a Hanukkah Menorah. But it was not until 1979 that a sitting president, Jimmy Carter took part in a public Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony on the National Mall, followed by the first Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony in the White House itself, led by President Bill Clinton.

In 2001, President George W. Bush held an official Hanukkah reception in the White House in conjunction with the candle-lighting ceremony, and since then this ceremony has become an annual tradition attended by Jewish leaders from around the country. In 2008, George Bush linked the occasion to the 1951 gift by using that menorah for the ceremony, with a grandson of Ben-Gurion and a grandson of Truman lighting the candles.

Green Hanukkah

Some Jews in North America and Israel have taken up environmental concerns in relation to Hanukkah's "miracle of the oil", emphasizing reflection on energy conservation and energy independence. An example of this is the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life's renewable energy campaign.

See also

County of Allegheny v. ACLU on the constitutionality of Hanukkah displays on public property in the U.S.

Hanukkah bush

Hasmonean kingdom

Hellenistic Judaism

Jewish holidays

References

External links

Comprehensive Hanukkah Guide

English translation of Megillas Antiochus

Hanukkah songsheets

Hanukkah songs

Traditional Hanukkah recipes

About Kosher Hanukkah recipes

Wiki-Recipe.org Hanukkah recipes

Hanukkah - Before, During, and After the Holocaust

Video: How to light the Hanukkah menorah

The Grand Rabbi of Satmar lighting the Hanukkah Menorah

Hanukkah Blessings for the menorah

I Know An Extremist dot Com - Hanukkah

Category:Jewish holy days Category:Minor Jewish holidays

Name	Adam Sandler
Caption	Sandler at the premiere of Funny People in Berlin, 2009
Birth name	Adam Richard Sandler
Birth date	September 09, 1966
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, comedian, musician, songwriter, screenwriter, film producer
Years active	1987–present
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, drums, piano, bass
Spouse	Jackie Sandler (2003–present)
Website	AdamSandler.com

Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, singer, screenwriter, musician, and film producer. After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office. He is best known for his comedic roles, such as in the films Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), Big Daddy (1999), and Mr. Deeds (2002), though he has ventured into more dramatic territory. In 1999, Sandler founded Happy Madison, a film and television production company that has produced numerous films and developed the 2007 television series Rules of Engagement.

Early life

Adam Sandler was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family, the son of Judy, a nursery school teacher, and Stanley Sandler, an electrical engineer. When he was five, his family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he attended Manchester Central High School. He found he was a natural comic, and nurtured his talent while at New York University by performing regularly in clubs and on campuses. Sandler graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988.

Later in his career, he would draw on his earliest experiences for material for his comedy and movies. The song "Lunchlady Land" from his debut album They're All Gonna Laugh at You! is dedicated to Emalee, the lunchlady at Hayden Dining Hall at New York University.

Acting career

In the mid to late 1980s, Sandler played Theo Huxtable's friend, Smitty, on The Cosby Show (1987–1988). He was a performer for the MTV game show Remote Control, on which he made appearances as the characters "Trivia Delinquent" or "Stud Boy". Early in his career, Sandler performed in comedy clubs, taking the stage at his brother's urging when he was only 17. He was discovered by comedian Dennis Miller, who caught Sandler's act in Los Angeles. Miller recommended him to Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. Sandler was hired as a writer for SNL in 1990 and became a featured player the following year, making a name for himself by performing amusing original songs on the show, including "The Chanukah Song". Sandler told Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show that NBC fired him and Chris Farley from the show in 1995.

Sandler's first starring role was in 1989, in the film Going Overboard. In 1994 he co-starred in Airheads with Brendan Fraser, and Steve Buscemi. He starred in Billy Madison (1995) as a grown, though uneducated, man repeating grades 1–12 to earn back his father's respect, along with the right to inherit his father's multi-million-dollar hotel empire. In At the Movies, Siskel and Ebert gave the film a very bad review, and said of Sandler "...Not an attractive screen presence, he might have a career as a villain or a fall guy or the butt of a joke, but as the protagonist his problem is he creates the fingernails on the blackboard" with Siskel adding "...you don't have a good motivation for the character's behavior". He followed this film with other financially successful comedies such as Bulletproof (1996), Happy Gilmore (1996) and The Wedding Singer (1998). He was initially cast in the bachelor-party-themed comedy/thriller Very Bad Things (1998), but had to back out due to his involvement in The Waterboy (1998) one of his first hits.

Although his earlier films did not receive critical praise, his more recent films, beginning with Punch-Drunk Love (2002), have received more positive reviews. Roger Ebert, in his review of Punch-Drunk Love, concluded that Sandler had been wasted in earlier films with poorly written scripts and characters with no development. Sandler has moved outside the genre of slapstick comedy to take on more serious parts such as the aforementioned Punch-Drunk Love (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe), Spanglish (2004) and Reign Over Me (2007). He played a loving father figure in Big Daddy (1999). During filming, he met Jacqueline Samantha Titone—his future wife and mother of his two daughters -— who was cast as the waitress from The Blarney Stone Bar.

.]]

At one point, Sandler was considered for the part that went to Jamie Foxx in Collateral (2004). He also was one of the finalists along with Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). He returned to more dramatic fare with Mike Binder's Reign Over Me (2007), a drama about a man who loses his entire family in 9/11 and rekindles a friendship with his old college roommate (played by Don Cheadle). He starred in the film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) alongside Kevin James, as a New York City fireman pretending to be gay to keep up an insurance scam so that his best friend's children can have benefits. Sandler headlined You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), a comedy about a Mossad agent who fakes his own death and moves to the United States to become a hair stylist. The film was written by Sandler, The 40-Year-Old Virgin writer-director Judd Apatow (who was an old roommate of Sandler's when both were starting out), and Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog creator Robert Smigel, and was directed by Happy Gilmore director Dennis Dugan.

"Like Will Ferrell, Sandler has layers of tenderness under layers of irony under layers of tenderness—plus a floating anger like Jupiter’s great red spot," wrote David Edelstein of New York magazine in a review of You Don't Mess with the Z. "Some performers become stars because we can read them instantly, others—like Sandler—because we never tire of trying to get a fix on them."

Sandler starred in Bedtime Stories (2008), a fantasy film directed by Bringing Down the House director Adam Shankman, about a stressed hotel maintenance worker whose bedtime stories he reads to his niece and nephew begin to come true. This marked Sandler's first family film and first film under the Walt Disney banner. Keri Russell and English comedian Russell Brand co-starred.

In 2009, Sandler starred in Judd Apatow's third directorial feature Funny People. He played a very successful stand up comedian who finds out he has a terminal illness and he takes a young inexperienced comic, played by Seth Rogen, under his wing. Other co-stars included Eric Bana and Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann. The film contained more dramatic elements than Apatow's previous efforts. Filming began in October 2008 and finished in January 2009. The film was released on July 31, 2009. At one point, Sandler was in talks to star in Quentin Tarantino's World War II film Inglourious Basterds, which he confirmed, but he did not appear in it due to a scheduling conflict with Funny People. Following the release of Funny People, it, along with Punch-Drunk Love were cited in the June 2010 announcement that Sandler was one of 135 people (including 20 actors) invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Sandler appeared in Grown Ups, teaming up with Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade (all of whom have worked with Sandler before) for a film about five best friends from high school who reunite 30 years later on the 4th of July weekend. Other costars include Salma Hayek (playing Sandler's wife), Maria Bello (playing James' wife), and fellow SNL alumna Maya Rudolph (playing Rock's wife), Colin Quinn, Tim Meadows, and Norm MacDonald. Sandler and Dickie Roberts scribe Fred Wolf wrote the script and Dennis Dugan directed the film.

Sandler finished filming Just Go with It with Jennifer Aniston, a romantic comedy written by Allan Loeb and Tim Dowling and directed by Dennis Dugan. He plays a plastic surgeon who asks his office manager, played by Aniston, to pose as his wife in order to prove his honesty to his much younger girlfriend, played by Brooklyn Decker, after telling her he's been married to avoid commitment. Sandler will also provide the voice of a capuchin monkey in Kevin James' Zookeeper, set to be released on July 8, 2011.

Happy Madison Productions

.]] Sandler formed his film production company, Happy Madison Productions, in 1999, first producing fellow SNL alumnus Rob Schneider's film . Happy Madison has produced all of Sandler's subsequent films to date with the exceptions Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish. Reign Over Me and Funny People were produced by Happy Madison but under the subsidiary label "Madison 23".

Sandler is known for consistently working with a core group of friends and associates through Happy Madison, frequently casting fellow SNL performers in various roles in his films. Sandler and Happy Madison produced SNL contemporary Rob Schneider's vehicles (1999), The Animal (2001), The Hot Chick (2002), and (2005), and The Benchwarmers (2006), with Sandler making cameo appearances in the middle three. Meanwhile, Schneider has appeared in cameo roles in Sandler films The Waterboy, Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds, Click, The Longest Yard, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and Bedtime Stories. Schneider had larger roles in Sandler films Big Daddy, 50 First Dates, Eight Crazy Nights, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and Grown Ups.

Happy Madison produced David Spade's Joe Dirt, , and The Benchwarmers, which also featured Rob Schneider.

In June 2008, it was announced that Sandler will be executive producer for a horror thriller titled The Shortcut under a nascent genre label for Happy Madison called "Scary Madison".

In October 2009, it was announced that Sandler and Happy Madison will produce the Richard Pryor biopic Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? for Sony, the company's first major dramatic production. The film was written by Bill Condon, who is set to direct, and Pryor will be played by Marlon Wayans, who is replacing Eddie Murphy.

Personal life

On June 22, 2003, Sandler married actress Jacqueline Samantha Titone, and they are the parents of two daughters, Sadie Madison Sandler and Sunny Madeline Sandler. Sandler lives with his family in Los Angeles, although he also has a home in New York.

In 2007, Sandler made a $3 million donation to the Boys and Girls Club in his hometown, Manchester, New Hampshire. He also donated $2,100 to Republican Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign the same year, and is a registered Republican.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |1989 |Going Overboard |Schecky Moskowitz |First film role |- |1992 |Shakes the Clown |Dink the Clown | |- |1993 |Coneheads |Carmine | |- |rowspan="2"|1994 |Airheads |Pip | |- |Mixed Nuts |Louie | |- |1995 |Billy Madison |Billy Madison |Also writerNominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance |- |rowspan="2"|1996 |Happy Gilmore |Happy Gilmore |Also writerMTV Movie Award for Best FightNominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance |- |Bulletproof |Archie Moses | |- |rowspan="3"|1998 |The Wedding Singer |Robbie Hart |Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy (Also for The Waterboy)MTV Movie Award for Best KissNominated — American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated — MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo |- |Dirty Work |Satan |Cameo (uncredited) |- |The Waterboy |Robert "Bobby" Boucher Jr. |Also executive producer and writerBlockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy (also for The Wedding Singer)Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor |- |rowspan="2"|1999 |Big Daddy |Sonny Koufax |Also executive producer and writerBlockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – ComedyKids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor, MTV Movie Award Winner - Best Comedic Performance |- | |Robert Justin |Cameo (voice only) |- |2000 |Little Nicky |Nicky |Also executive producer and writer |- |2001 |The Animal |Townie |Cameo executive producer |- |rowspan="5"|2002 |Mr. Deeds |Longfellow Deeds |Also executive producerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor |- |Punch-Drunk Love |Barry Egan |Gijón Internation Film Festival Award for Best ActorNominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated — MTV Movie Award for Best KissNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |- |Eight Crazy Nights |Davey Stone |VoiceAlso producer and writerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie |- |A Day with the Meatball |Himself |Short film |- |The Hot Chick |Mambuza Bongo Guy (uncredited) |Cameo executive producer |- |rowspan="4"|2003 |Anger Management |Dave Buznik |Also executive producer |- |Pauly Shore Is Dead |Himself |Documentary |- |Stupidity |Himself |Documentary |- |The Couch |Couch Testing Guy |Short Film |- |rowspan="2"|2004 |50 First Dates |Henry Roth |Also executive producerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor |- |Spanglish |John Clasky | |- |rowspan="2"|2005 |The Longest Yard |Paul Crewe |Also executive producer |- | |Javier Sandooski (uncredited) |Cameo Producer |- |2006 |Click |Michael Newman |Also producerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star |- |rowspan="2"|2007 |Reign Over Me |Charlie Fineman | |- |I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry |Chuck Levine |Also executive producer |- |rowspan="2"|2008 |You Don't Mess with the Zohan |Zohan Dvir |Also producer and writer |- |Bedtime Stories |Skeeter Bronson |Also producerNominated- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor |- |rowspan="1"|2009 |Funny People |George Simmons | |- |rowspan="1"|2010 |Grown Ups |Lenny Feder |Also producer and writer |- |rowspan="3"|2011 |Just Go with It |Dr. Danny Maccabee |Finished |- |Jack & Jill |Jack Murray/Jill Bristow |Filming started in October 2010 |- |Zookeeper |Capuchin Monkey |Release date: July 8, 2011 Voice only Also producer |}

Television

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |1987–1990 |Remote Control | | |- |1987–1988 |The Cosby Show |Smitty |Episodes: "The Locker Room""Dance Mania""The Prom""The Visit" |- |rowspan="2"|1990 |The Marshall Chronicles |Usher |Episode: "Brightman SATyricon" |- |ABC Afterschool Special |Drug Dealer |Episode: "Testing Dirty" |- |1991–1995 |Saturday Night Live |Various | |- |2001 |Undeclared |Himself |Episode: "The Assistant" |- |2003 |Couch |Couch Testing Guy | |- |2005 |Getaway |Henry Roth |Episode: "Found" |- |2007 |The King of Queens |Jeff "The beast" Sussman |Episode: "Mild Bunch" |}

Discography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |They're All Gonna Laugh at You! | 1993 | 2x Platinum |- |What the Hell Happened to Me? | 1996 | 2x Platinum |- |What's Your Name? | 1997 | Gold |- |Stan and Judy's Kid | 1999 | Gold |- |Shhh...Don't Tell | 2004 | |}

References

External links

Official website

Category:1966 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:20th-century actors Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century actors Category:21st-century writers Category:Actors from New Hampshire Category:Actors from New York City Category:American comedians Category:American comedy musicians Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American Jews Category:American male singers Category:American musicians Category:American singers Category:American screenwriters Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:Former pupils of Manchester Central High School Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish comedians Category:New York University alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Manchester, New Hampshire

:This article is about the Australian dancer and choreographer; for the Canadian musician, see Steven Page.

Born in Brisbane in 1965, Stephen Page is a descendant from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh tribe from southeast Queensland. He is the Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Career

Page studied dance at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA), he graduated in 1983 and then danced with the Sydney Dance Company, in 1991 he choreographed Mooggrah for the Sydney Dance Company and Trackers of Oxyrhyncus for the Sydney Theatre Company and a sextet for Opera Australia's Marriage of Figaro. During this time he also toured with the NAISDA associated "Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre".

Stephen danced with the Sydney Dance Company until 1991 when he was appointed Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre. With his works, Praying Mantis Dreaming, Ninni, and Ochres, Stephen established milestones for Australian dance. In 1996, Stephen made his creative debut with The Australian Ballet, choreographing Alchemy. The following year, he brought The Australian Ballet and Bangarra together in Rites, to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. The following year Stephen choreographed Fish for Bangarra, with its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Stephen choreographed the flag handover ceremony for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and co-directed segments of the ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He also created the ceremony that opened the Olympic Arts Festival. Stephen also choreographed Skin, which premiered at the festival and won the coveted Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work and Best Dance Work. Stephen’s triple bill Corroboree toured internationally, in a sell-out tour of the US with appearances at BAM in New York and Washington’s Kennedy Centre. This work earned Stephen the Helpmann Award for Best Choreography. The following year, Stephen was honoured with the Matilda Award for his contribution to the arts in Queensland and choreographed Totem for The Australian Ballet’s principal dancer, Stephen Heathcote. 2002 also saw the World Premiere of Bangarra’s double bill, Walkabout which Stephen co-choreographed with Frances Rings.

Stephen and Frances Rings later co-choreographed Bush for Bangarra that sold out on its Australian tour as well as its 2004 tour to the United States. Also in 2004 Bangarra returned to the Sydney Opera House with another sell-out production co-choreographed by Stephen and Frances, Clan. The following year Stephen choreographed Boomerang for a sell-out Australian tour.

As Artistic Director of the 2004 Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Stephen was praised for reinvigorating the event with an impressive and highly successful world-class program. Stephen’s film and theatre credits include the contemporary operatic film Black River, numerous music video clips and most recently directing his own brother David Page in the highly acclaimed one-man show Page 8 which toured the UK.

In 2006 Stephen and The Australian Ballet created Gathering, a double bill consisting of a reworked Rites and Amalgamate. Also in 2006, Queensland Art Gallery director asked Stephen to create a new dance work for the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art. Stephen, along with his son and nephews, created Kin, a special project that opened Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

In 2007 Stephen directed a spectacular traditional smoking ceremony in honour of the historic celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Later in the year, during Bangarra’s True Stories season, Stephen directed Victorian Opera’s Orphee and Eurydice in Melbourne and presented another sell-out season of Kin at the Malthouse Theatre.

In 2008 Stephen was named NSW Australian of the Year, receiving the award from Deputy Premier John Watkins in a ceremony at the Art Gallery of NSW.

In 2008 Stephen created for Bangarra a new, full-length work Mathinna (Best Dance Work and Best Choreography, 2009 Helpmann Awards). Stephen then took Rites with The Australian Ballet to London and Paris, and Bangarra’s Awakenings to Washington, New York and Ottawa. Later in 2008 Stephen set off for Broome, WA as Choreographer on the film adaptation of Bran Nue Dae.

In 2009, after returning from a highly successful tour of True Stories to Germany, Hungary and Austria, Stephen and the dancers spent 10 days in Arnhem Land on a cultural exchange. Stephen celebrated Bangarra’s 20th Anniversary with Fire – A Retrospective (Winner, Outstanding Performance by a Company, 2010 Australian Dance Awards).

In 2010, Stephen was honoured with the Services to Dance award at the Australian Dance Awards and received a Helpmann Awards for Best Choreography for Fire, Bangarra’s 20-year Retrospective work. Bangarra received a further two Helpmann Awards - Best Ballet/Dance Work for Fire and Best Regional Touring Production for True Stories.

Choreography

Sydney Dance Company

*Mooggrah (1991)

Sydney Theatre Company

*'Trackers of Oxyrhyncus''

a sextet for Opera Australia's Marriage of Figaro

Bangarra Dance Theatre

*Praying Mantis Dreaming (1992), Bangarra's first full length work.

*Ochres (1994),

*Fish (1997)

*Skin (2000) won Stephen and Bangarra the Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work and Best Dance Work

*Corroboree (2001), for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival,

*Walkabout (2002) co-choreographed with Frances Rings

*Bush (2003)

*Clan (2004) co-choreographed with Frances Rings.

*Boomerang (2005)

Australian Ballet

*Alchemy (1996)

*Rites (1997) (with Bangarra Dance Theatre)

*Totem (2002) a solo for Steven Heathcote

*Gathering (2006), remounted Rites with a new work, Amalgamate collaborative work with Bangarra

with other works for the

*''Australian Football League,

*''flag handover ceremony for the Atlanta Olympic Games (1996)

*''directed the Indigenous segments of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

*''opening ceremony of the Olympic Arts Festival

References

External links

Bangarra Dance Theatre

Stephen Page at Australia Dancing

Category:Australian dancers Category:Australian choreographers Category:Indigenous Australian people Category:1965 births Category:Living people