The author discusses the history and significance of the dreidel, a game played during Hanukkah.

The article discusses the significance of the Shabbat Hanukkah piyyut (liturgical poem) called Shnei Zeitim, which was written in the eleventh century by Solomon ibn Gabirol.

The Hasmoneans were a priestly family who rose to power and styled themselves as both high priests and kings.

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, in a responsum to Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Pines, justifies the establishment of Jewish militias, self-defense, and a sovereign Jewish nation without a king or Sanhedrin, drawing on interpretations of Rambam's rulings.

The article challenges the traditional understanding of Hanukkah as a conflict between Judaism and Greek culture by suggesting a more nuanced view of historical events in 175-164 BCE.