dkatzIn this interesting video (03:36), Rabbi Judith Hauptman explores the Talmudic references to Hannukah, suggesting that the significance of the minor Jewish holiday has always been aggrandized due to its proximity to other non-Jewish wintertime Festivals of Light. The feminist Talmudic scholar and professor at the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary argues that the historical context in which Jews lived had an impact on the development of Jewish Hannukah ritual, leading to an emphasis on the publicizing of the festive candle-lighting. So too, she encourages contemporary Jewish families to increase the celebration of Hannukah through gift giving, even if partially influenced by Christmas.