Every family has a few traditions that stick, even without anyone deciding they should. For us, one of those traditions is reading Isaac Bashevis Singer’s The Power of Light—one story each night of Chanukah.
We’ve been doing this for years.
Some nights, it’s easy to settle in. Other nights—especially when everyone is eyeing their gifts—it’s harder to wait until after the story is read. But we do it anyway. It’s become part of the rhythm of the holiday in our home.
Over time, this little book has woven itself into our family life. I’ve bought multiple copies, and when one of the kids isn’t home for Chanukah, I send them their own. If they’re missing the latkes, the singing in the living room, or the general cozy chaos of being here, at least they get a taste of home through these stories.
Singer’s book offers small vignettes from across Jewish history—moments of light, resilience, family, love, and a bit of sadness too. We each have our own favorite stories, the ones we gravitate toward year after year, the ones we volunteer to read aloud. There’s something steadying about that routine—returning to the same words, the same characters, the same emotions. It’s familiar. Honest. And it feels like coming back to something we’ve always known.
Reading one story a night doesn’t take long, but it has a way of grounding the holiday. It’s a reminder that Chanukah isn’t only about frying and gifting and gathering. It’s about connection, memory, and the small rituals that anchor us in something larger than the moment we’re in.
If your family doesn’t already have a small nightly ritual for Chanukah, this is an easy one to begin. It doesn’t need to be this book—it can be any short story, poem, or passage that feels meaningful to you. The point isn’t perfection; it’s the few quiet minutes spent together, doing the same thing night after night, building something that lasts.
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