Hanukkah, which begins Saturday evening, celebrates the reclamation of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C.E. Three years before, Syrian-Greek soldiers had seized the holy site, then later proclaimed practicing Judaism an act punishable by death. According to tradition, when Jewish villagers were made to worship idols and eat pork in opposition to their beliefs, they revolted. After many battles, the rebels, known as the Maccabees, retook the temple. The temple had to be purified by the burning of ritual oil, but there was only enough to burn for one day. As the story goes, the oil instead lasted for eight days, a miracle that gave rise to Hanukkah and its eight days of celebration.

Hanukkah is not one of Judaism’s high holidays. In fact, its high profile among the greater populace comes from its proximity to Christmas, and the fact that it has evolved into a gift-giving holiday in part so that Jewish children are not left out this time of year.

But just as Christmas means more than the piles of presents under the tree, Hanukkah, too, is about more than the eight nights of gifts and lighting of candles. The eventual victory of the Maccabees shows the power of community and faith, even when set against an outnumbering and powerful foe. The lighting of the menorah can itself be an act of resistance – there are stories of Jewish families secretly observing the holiday even under the threat of death in Nazi Germany. It is a sign to others that says you are not alone.

More than anything, it is a reminder that the majority must always account and answer for its actions against the minority, and that those actions will live on in history. It is about the duty to recognize wrong and act against it, no matter the circumstances or the odds.