By Valerie Brown, Community Educator. Dear Friends, I just started a new school year, pursuing of my Masters in Jewish Education, and I'm already feeling overwhelmed with all the things I want to get done this year: personally, academically, and professionally. And of course, all my human habits that get in the way of being the productive robot person who can do it all.

Happy Rosh Chodesh / New Moon and new month of Nissan. This is the month when we feel the transition into springtime and celebrate Passover.

At the seder meal we ask, "how is this night different from all other nights?" This year, we have many more answers than we normally do. Everything feels different. Many of us are filled with anxiety and uncertainty, scarcity and fear around health concerns and financial (in)security.

In the intermediary days of Sukkot, I took myself to one of my favorite places, DaySpring Retreat Center in Germantown, MD for a Quiet Day. Early in the day, I walked around outside on the beautiful grounds and by the pond, I just started speaking outloud to God. This is a chassidic form of meditative prayer called Hitbodedut, in which one speaks aloud spontaneously, offering the words of the heart.

Like the winter festivals of light in cultures all around the world, Hannukah falls at the darkest time of year in the Northern Hemisphere. Not only are the nights growing longer but they are darker too, moving toward winter solstice. Additionally, Hannukah falls on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, at a time when the moon is waning in a further darkening night sky.

Hannukah encourages us to literally light a fire in the darkness, to kindle light at the darkest time year. For those in the southern Hemisphere where Hannukah falls in the summer time (what?!), the lighting of candles has a similar yet inverse meaning of celebrating, growing, and expanding light.