Illuminating our Inner Strength: Hanukkah Kavanah

Rabbi Amalya Volz

Find more Hanukkah Candle Lighting Intentions from the RA’s “8 Nights of Kavvanot.”

Tonight, we watch the Chanukah lights burn down. The physical light of the menorah dissipates as our internal light begins to shine brighter.

What hopes might ascend in the forty-four flames over the course of the holiday?
What hidden shadows might be brought into the light?

For the eight nights of Chanukkah, the candles assist us with bringing light into the world, but when the holiday is complete, it will be wholly our turn.

May the light of our mitzvot and Yiddishkeit burn even brighter than the flame of a candle.

May the menorah illuminate our inner strength and resilience even in the midst of the deepest darkness.

Author

Rabbi Amalya Volz

Amalya Volz is a chaplain, spiritual leader and seeker, social justice organizer, and teacher of Jewish texts. She received a BA in Jewish Studies from Oberlin College in 2019. Amalya has held leadership positions in several communities in Ohio and New York, including the Cleveland Partnership Minyan, Oberlin Hillel, the Beis Community, and the Fort Tryon Jewish Center, where she served as the rabbinic intern. She is passionate about writing and her publication credits include Hey Alma, eJewishPhilanthropy, Tablet, and the Times of Israel. Amalya will graduate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2024 with rabbinical ordination and an MA in Jewish Women and Gender Studies.
View all posts

Author

Rabbi Amalya Volz

Amalya Volz is a chaplain, spiritual leader and seeker, social justice organizer, and teacher of Jewish texts. She received a BA in Jewish Studies from Oberlin College in 2019. Amalya has held leadership positions in several communities in Ohio and New York, including the Cleveland Partnership Minyan, Oberlin Hillel, the Beis Community, and the Fort Tryon Jewish Center, where she served as the rabbinic intern. She is passionate about writing and her publication credits include Hey Alma, eJewishPhilanthropy, Tablet, and the Times of Israel. Amalya will graduate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2024 with rabbinical ordination and an MA in Jewish Women and Gender Studies.

Post categories: Hanukkah, Holidays, Observing Hanukkah

Post tags: Blessing, Candle, Candle lighting, Hanukkah, Menorah, Mitzvah

All Who Are Hungry and In Need, Come Celebrate Pesach

All Flesh Is Grass: Shabbat Nachamu

Find meaning in your inbox. Sign up for our emails!

Exploring Judaism is a home for the Torah of Conservative Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. There is always something to learn and explore.