commemorating the victory of Judah and the Maccabees in the fight for freedom and the right to be Jews.

The story of Chanukah is recorded in the Talmud, a vast, post-biblical treasure of Jewish law and lore.

It began when Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian-Greek king, installed a pagan altar to Zeus in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and decreed that all of his subjects must adopt Greek religion and culture. The practice of all Jewish ritual was expressly forbidden and punishable by death.

In the rebellion which followed, a handful of Maccabeans gathered many followers together and challenged the powerful Syrian-Greek army. With just bare hands and stones, they won battle after battle against the armoured troops.

Finally, they won Jerusalem. Racing into the Temple, they destroyed the pagan altar, cleaned it up, and then searched for the sacred oil to light and reconsecrate it.

For the celebration, the Maccabees sought to light the sacred menorah (candelabrum), but could only find one tiny cruse of unpolluted oil sufficient for a single day.

A miracle then took place, whereby the sacred oil lasted for eight days, giving them time to obtain more purified oil.

Thus, the first Chanukah was celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev in the year 3597, according to the Jewish calendar. For over 2000 years now, around December the Jewish people have continued to celebrate the Maccabean victory of freedom of religion for the human family with Chanukah (which, in English, means re-consecrate) by lighting candles in a menorah for eight nights.

"The menorah consists of nine branches -- one for each of the eight nights, plus a centre one. The candle in the latter is taller than the others, and is known as a shammash, or helper, because it is used to light the others,'' Mrs.

Fiona Elkinson, a Bermuda resident, explained.

"On the first night of Chanukah, one candle is lit from the shammesh, on the second, two are lit, and so forth until the eighth night, when all are lit.'' Each night, after the candles are lit, the family sings Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages) in Hebrew.

"It's universal,'' Mrs. Elkinson noted. "You will find Jews in South Africa, France, South America, the United States, for example, all singing exactly the same thing, no matter what their native language.'' Maoz Tzur is followed by the three-verse Blessings. On the first night of Chanukah, all three verses are traditionally recited, with the first two verses being spoken on subsequent nights.

In Bermuda, many Jewish residents gather for an annual party at Mermaid Beach Club, hosted by Mr. Brian Alkon.

"Everyone brings their own menorah, a lay leader makes the Blessings, and everyone sings along with her, lighting their menorah,'' Mrs. Elkinson said.

Part of the menorah tradition also involves placing it in a window so that it might be seen by passers-by.

Other traditions associated with Chanukah include eating foods cooked in oil throughout the eight-day celebration. This commemorates the miracle of the sacred oil which burned for eight nights. Gifts are also exchanged, and children delight in playing a game of chance with a dreydl for Chanukah gelt -- special, gold foil-wrapped chocolates which look like coins.

"The dreydl is a four-sided spinning top. On each side there is a Yiddish letter: nun for miracle, gimmel for great, hay for was/happened, and shin for there. The meaning is: A great miracle was/happened there,'' Mrs. Elkinson explained.

"Each letter of the dreydl has a certain value in terms of Chanukah gelt.

Depending on which letter lands up after the dreydl stops spinning, the player loses or gains chocolate coins. It's a game for children and they play it for hours!'' While gifts were not a part of the original celebration, as the Jewish people became more involved in secular life, the custom of exchanging gifts on each of the eight days began. For many families, it was also a way of making children feel less different than their peers during the parallel Christian Christmas celebrations.

"But please note, Chanukah is not the Jewish Christmas,'' Mrs. Tamar Sharp, another Bermuda resident, stressed.

Foodwise, traditions abound. By far the most popular Chanukah food is Potato Latkes (potato pancakes). As with any recipe, there are many variations on this potato pancake.

In preparing them, some say they aren't authentic unless the cook grates his or her knuckles along with the potatoes, while modern cooks have realised the convenience of the food processor for grating the potatoes and onions which go into latkes.

In Israel, Sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts are a "must'' Toppings for latkes vary according to taste. Australian-born Mrs. Elkinson's mother, for example, sprinkled her latkes with cinnamon and sugar, while American-born Mrs. Sharp's used apple sauce.

No matter what the variations may be on this celebration, Chanukah is about family togetherness. Recipes for traditional Chanukah dishes are as follows: POTATO LATKES 4 large russet or Idaho potatoes (about 1 lb. each) Juice of 1 a lemon 1 large onion 2 large eggs 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup flour 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. white pepper Corn oil for frying PEEL potatoes and grate them either by hand or in a food processor. Squeeze grated potatoes by handfuls to get rid of the excess starchy water.

Alternatively, roll the grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and wring it out. Place potatoes in a bowl and mix in lemon juice. Peel and grate onion and beat eggs lightly. Add grated onion, beaten eggs, matzo meal or flour, salt and pepper. Mix well. Heat about 1 cup of oil in a frying pan. Drop potato mixture into the hot frying pan a tablespoon at time and fry until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and keep latkes warm in a 250 degree F.

oven. Continue until all are done. Serve immediately with either applesauce or sour cream. Yield: 16 to 24 latkes, depending on the size of your tablespoon.

SUFGANIYOT (Jelly doughnuts) 2 tbsp. or 2 pkgs. dry yeast 4 tbsp. sugar and sugar for rolling 3 cup lukewarm milk 2 1 cups all-purpose flour 2 egg yolks Pinch of salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 11 tbsp. softened butter, at room temperature Vegetable oil for deep frying Plum, strawberry, or apricot jam DISSOLVE yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar in milk. Let sit 10 minutes. Sift flour.

Place it on a board and make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture, egg yolks, salt, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Knead well. Work butter and knead until dough is elastic. Cover and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day: sprinkle flour on a board. Roll dough out to 1 inch. Cut out with a glass into rounds about 2 inches in diameter. Cover and let rise 15 minutes more. Using your hand, form each round into a ball. Insert a tablespoon of jam; enclose completely. Pour 2 inches of oil into a heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil, 4-5 at a time, turning when brown. Drain on paper towels. Roll in granulated sugar and serve.

Eat immediately. Yield: Yield: 24.

LENA'S COOKED APPLES PEEL, core and slice 6-8 apples. Saute in 2-3 tablespoons butter for about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon to taste, and about 1 to 1 cup of sugar (again to taste). Stir, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until tender. Serve with sour cream on top of potato latkes.

HAPPY CHANUKAH -- Pictured from left to right, Kilian and Damian Elkinson, and twins Sophie and Simon Sharp celebrate Chanukah by lighting their hand-made menorah -- a tradition repeated in Jewish homes around the world during the eight-day "Festival of Lights.''