How is Hanukkah celebrated in Israel?

In contemporary Israel, Hanukkah is observed as a national holiday, characterized by both religious and widespread public celebrations.1

Public and Educational Traditions

Schools are closed during the eight-day festival, and students participate by presenting plays, singing holiday songs, and holding parties. A prominent public tradition involves displaying menorahs atop major buildings, such as the Knesset. A significant highlight is an annual relay race that begins in Modi'in and concludes in Jerusalem at the Western Wall. There, a torchbearer hands a torch to the chief rabbi, who uses it to light the first candle of a giant menorah.1

Customs and Cuisine

As in other parts of the world, the holiday involves lighting the menorah (specifically the nine-branched hanukkiyah) to commemorate the miracle of the oil. Culinary traditions in Israel include eating treats fried in oil, with sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts) being immensely popular. Additionally, children play with a four-sided top called a sevivon (dreidel); in Israel, the Hebrew letters on the top are modified to read "a great miracle happened here" (Nes gadol haya po), rather than the traditional "there" (sham).234