Special Edition in memory of Lt. Col. Emmanuel Yehuda Moreno, חי”ד

Despite various translations into Hebrew, the books of the Hasmoneans did not penetrate public consciousness or the educational system for various reasons: long and cumbersome sentences, too many details, difficult biblical language, and many deviations from the main plot sequence.

The Book of Hanukkah is intended to overcome these barriers by giving the story of Hanukkah in a concise manner and in clear and fluent language.

The Book of Hanukkah is divided into eight chapters for the eight days of Chanukah. It is based entirely on the books of the Hasmoneans and supplementary sources from rabbinic literature.  The book is an adaptation that is on the one hand scientific and faithful to the sources, and on the other hand intended for the general public and for schoolchildren in its style and literary teachings.

Dr. Hagai Ben Artzi, a resident of Beit El, is a teacher of Bible and Jewish thought at colleges of education in Jerusalem and at Bar Ilan University. In his educational work, Dr. Ben-Artzi combines a commitment to Torah with an academic and scientific approach.