Hanukkah Quotes

I get invited to an awful lot of Jewish functions.

I have no religion because I was born and raised Jewish. And on the first night of Hanukkah, my parents, when I was very young, gave me a top to play with. They called it a dreidel. I knew it was a top. And as I looked at that top, I said, 'You know. I don't think I'm gonna be Jewish for very long.

When you have a Jewish mother who has a very strong Jewish family, it's very ethnic in its practices. Eating brisket, the food and the family and the interconnectedness for better or worse.

Christians get trees. Jews get bushes. To stay in good standing with the Tribe, you've got to refer to a Christmas tree as a Hanukkah bush.

Throughout history, Hanukkah was a relatively minor festival, but it's become very popular in America due to its proximity to Christmas.

My girlfriend is Jewish. But it's easier to buy her a Christmas present and then break it into 8 pieces.

A summary of every Jewish holiday: They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat!

Everyone thinks I'm Jewish. I'm not. Last year I got a call: "Happy Hanukkah." I said "Ma, I'm not Jewish."

We celebrated Christmas. Not religiously, but we did the tree and the lights. Hannukah always seemed not quite as thrilling - Sorry to my Jewish brothers and sisters! But when you're a kid, Santa and all that, you know, that really trumps the menorah. So we did Christmas.

Some people have religion as a means of solace. But, I had a dreidel, so that was out.

You know. I don't think I'm gonna be Jewish for very long.

Throughout its history, the members of Shearith Israel have observed Thanksgiving by reciting in synagogue the same psalms of praise and gratitude sung by Jews all over the world on festive days like Hanukkah.

I felt a real strong connection and still do with Hanukkah. So it started out by doing concerts on Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights tour, and then, yeah, let's make some Hanukkah songs. Let me make a Hanukkah song that kids can listen to, party to and get the spirituality of it, because it is not just about dreidels and having fun.

Sitting in a room being forced to listen to 'The Chanukah Song' over and over." [on his idea of Hell]

Still ours the dance, the feast, the glorious Psalm, The mystic lights of emblem, and the Word.

I'm Jewish. Went to a Jewish school.

Being half Jewish, we grew up with Christmas trees but had Jewish ornaments.

You are not practicing Judaism if you celebrate Christmas.

I'm Jewish, so I don't really do Christmas gifts, and Hanukkah is not as big a deal as gifts are concerned, so I never actually give gifts.

The real reason Jews don't have more Hanukkah music is that, historically, American Jewish singer-songwriters were too busy making Christmas music. 'White Christmas,' 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' 'Silver Bells' and 'The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)' were all written by Jews.

I knew I wanted to get married and have a family, but it was important that my husband be a Jew; I didn't want to have to explain what Hanukkah is.

Even as a little kid I knew that spinning a dreidel on the floor for literal pennies was a sad consolation for the joys of trimming a Christmas tree.

What I find fascinating about Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights we celebrate at this time of the year, is the way its story was transformed by time.

In terms of my religious preference, if a year goes by and I don't have a Seder or I don't light the menorah, I feel a loss.

Yes, for me Hanukkah is very sad. But the life force that's in me makes it a wonderful holiday, too.