Happy Chanukah! Or, is it Hanukkah? Let’s solve this puzzle right now. “Chanukah” and “Hanukkah” are transliterations of the Hebrew word for the holiday. In Hebrew letters, there’s only way to spell it. In English letters, we try to convey the sounds of the word in a form that’s familiar to us and easy to read. So, here’s what happens.

            First, we have to use an English letter to make the hard guttural sound that is the start of the holiday’s name. It’s really not a soft “h” sound; it’s a hard “h” sound that comes from the throat. In familiar English letters, it has often been written “CH,” hence the beginning of one way to write the name of the holiday. Alternatively, the guttural sound was written with an “H” and a dot (yes, a dot) under the “H” to convey the linguistic or technical way of illustrating this hard sound; hence the beginning of another way to write the name of the holiday. But, what happened to the dot? How many typewriters (when we used typewriters) can make a dot under an “H”? None that I remember. Probably a computer could make a dot under an “H” today, but now it’s too late. We’ve already grown accustomed to just an “H” without a dot at the beginning of the name of the holiday.

            Next, we reach the sound of “N.” No problem. One “N” and we move on. Next, we have to ask, “What’s with the ‘K’?” Is there one or are there two? In the Hebrew spelling of the holiday, there is a Hebrew letter (kaf) that makes the sound “K,” and it’s written with a dot inside of it. Technically, the dot inside this letter has a doubling effect. Therefore, the most accurate transliteration of the holiday’s name would have to be written with two “K’s”.  But, why write two “K’s” when one is more conventional in English? There aren’t any common English words that are written with two “K’s” that I know of, so why should the holiday’s name be any different?

            The last letter in the holiday’s name is a true “H” sound, and at the end of a Hebrew word, an “H” is usually silent. The only things I didn’t explain were the vowel sounds that come between the consonant letters: CH-a-N-u-K-a-H. In Hebrew, vowels come under and between the consonants. At the end of the Hebrew word, we hear “AH,” which is a combination of the vowel sound and the final letter in the word. It’s appropriate to write “AH” at the end of the transliterated version.

            So, which is right? Chanukah or Hanukkah? Yes.

            They’re both right. The former is more conventional because it resembles English more closely. It’s no wonder that our early Reform models adopted it. The latter is more technical; it more closely resembles a linguistic version of Hebrew in English letters. And, these are really the only acceptable versions. The following don’t reflect any model at all: Chanuka, Hanuka, Chanukka, Hanukka, etc.

            When I write to you, I use “Chanukah.” I guess it’s because it’s more conventional and less technical. Will it make Chanukah brighter? Probably not, but I have no doubt that it will make you brighter! Tell your friends.

            From my desk to yours, Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukah!

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