The menorah is a brand that stands for faith in the everlasting, for transcendental transformation and the power to reshape our fragmented world. And its light cannot be hoarded.

Perhaps it is because of an awkward duality in our historical narratives that we often retreat to the broader themes and rituals of Hanukkah rather than the complexities of its underlying history.

As a straight ally, I want my LGBT family and friends to have all the same freedoms I have. I see progress every day.

All around us is darkness. And what do we do? We light a fire. Not a bonfire, but a small fire -- now one, now another, and so forth for eight nights.

On Wednesday morning, as the Jews of America prepared for the beginning of the holiday that evening, the New York Times published a rant against Hanukkah. Jews reacted with puzzlement, dismay and not a little anger.