Shining a Light on Hanukkah with May Ye

During the darkest days of the year, many cultures and religions around the world mark holidays celebrated with light. The Jewish festival of Hanukkah is typically marked by the lighting of candles for eight consecutive nights. This year we thought we’d dig a little deeper into the symbolism of shining a light into the darkness with Rabbi in training May Ye. In this episode we talk illuminating injustices, sparking change, and May shares some of her powerful work building community and ritual with and for Jews and People of Color. She also shares how a passion for social justice and ancestral heritage led her on a journey from secular Chinese American Jew into studying to be a reconstructionist Rabbi. We talk hanukkah practices new and old, creating culturally connected religious food traditions, and host Tagan Engel shares a new Apple Pomegranate Slaw she’s making with her Latkes this year.

May Ye is the founder of the Person of Color Havurah at Kol Tzedek Synagogue and of Min Hameitzar: A National Network of JOC Havurot. She has worked for Aurora Levins Morales on new liturgy that centers the voices of indigenous Jews and Jews of Color. She has also worked as a rabbinic intern at Tzedek Chicago and is currently a Climate Justice Fellow for POWER in Philadelphia.

Host Tagan Engel’s new Apple Pomegranate Slaw with some Hanukkah Latkes… May is thinking about what Chinese rooted Hanukkah foods she might start cooking with sesame oil….