The place: Judea (now known as Israel). The time: over 2,300 years ago. The Villain: King Antiochus. The Heroes: The Maccabee brothers and other Israeli rebels. It all started when big, bad Syrian King Antiochus thought it was a good idea for the Jewish people to forget about their God, their religion, and their traditions in order to worship the Greek gods. Among those who said, "Heck no!" was Judah Maccabee.

Judah decided that if he was going to go up against The Man, he needed an army. Now, when you’re making an army, you want people who’ve got your back, right? People you can trust, and who won’t leave you hanging in the desert with only your fists and your wit to protect yourself. Most of all, you need people who won’t run in fear when you say, "Hey, man, let’s go fight those huge, powerful Syrian dudes!" Who did Judah pick? His brothers.

After three long years of fighting, the Maccabee brothers drove the Syrians out of Israel and took back the Temple in Jerusalem. By the 25th day of Kislev (the first day of what we now call Hanukkah), they had that temple clean as a whistle, and only one problem left to conquer… The Maccabees wanted a little mood lighting in the Temple. Well, not exactly. They wanted to light the eternal light, the N’er Tamid—an essential in Jewish houses of worship. Only problem was, those Syrians were quite wasteful fellows. It seems they weren’t conservationists, and there wasn’t enough oil left to grease a pan. In fact, there was only enough oil to light the N’er Tamid for one day. Now, tell me if any of this is sounding familiar, but that tiny bit of oil miraculously lit the lamp for eight days!

So, why do we celebrate this holiday? To remember. The answer is always to remember. We remember the victory over the Syrians, and the eight-day miracle. Hanukkah means rededication—the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Think universal. One need not celebrate Christmas to act upon the values of Christmas: Keeping in mind the importance of family, humility, charity and kindness will make the time surrounding Christmas all the more bear able. Being thankful for our own good fortune, our health and our family are all appropriate ways of thinking about Christmas. We should take advantage of this holiday to think more about these universal values.

There is more to do than eat Chow Mein. Get out of your own head, and try to find your own mitzvah project. The holidays can be a lonely time for many people. Visiting the elderly, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or participating in a canned food drive are just some of the ways we can get out of our own funk and bring joy to others.

Appreciate the full circle. It helps to remember that the birthday boy is actually a Jew. Well, at least he was born to a Jewish mother, celebrated Passover, prayed communally with other Jews and most likely ventured to the First Temple. Understanding this fact should give us the chance to think about something else during Christmas: the interconnectedness of religions and all of our similarities. Despite the fact that Jews and Christians are thought of as such different people, many of the values that surround our religions rose from the same origins.

Get growing. Considering the number of trees that are cut down each year only to be adorned with dust-covered ornaments, it is important to refurnish our environment with new seeds. Planting a tree is one of the greatest mitzvot there are. It is an acknowledgment that we believe in the future and what type of world our children will inherit. Take Christmas as an opportunity to do something positive for our environment.

Stop the commercial madness. Don’t want to be bombarded with jingles 24/7, and 43 variations of "I’ll Be Home For Christmas?" There’s an easy way to avoid this. Shut off the radio for a couple months and take the time to discover some new music. Sick of Christmas TV ads and specials? Turn off the tube, and opt for your favorite DVDs or find something else to do instead of TV. Exercise is a great way to take a break from the outside world and get off the couch. Not only will you get an escape from the madness, you’ll feel more in control for taking action. And last but not least....have a happy Hanukkah!  

Now, Judah and his bros weren’t the only Jewish underdogs who did cool stuff. Here’s a few of our favorite Jews who’ve made a name for themselves against all odds.

5. The Beastie Boys Not only are they Jewish, but they’re white! These guys overcame all odds to show the world they were down with a hip-hop sound.

4. Steven Spielberg He was a Jewish kid with a dream. And not only did it come true, but he’s used films such as Schindler’s List to bring awareness to the rest of the world.

3. Gal Fridman Israel’s first Olympic gold medalist (2004, windsurfing). Israel waited long enough for this, don’t you think?

2. Golda Meir Prime Minister of Israel and the world’s second female prime minister.

1. David As in, the guy who defeated Goliath. ‘Nuff said

This article was reprinted from JVibe, a new magazine for Jewish teens that offers a non-judgmental place to meet famous Jewish celebrities, hear from cool Jewish role models, get advice, and explore a unique way to look at life and religion. Order JVibe for your teen, and if you live in FL, AL, LA, NC, SC, GA or TN, your 3-year subscription is free! Sign up at www.JVibe.com