Hanukkah in Modiin, the Maccabees' home town

Modiin is named after ancient Modi'im, the Hasmonean town first mentioned in the Book of Maccabees, about 9 km east of Lod (municipality (opens in a new tab)), so Hanukkah has a local flavour here.

Dates

Hanukkah 5787 begins on the evening of Friday 4 December 2026 (first candle before Shabbat) and ends on Saturday 12 December 2026 (Hebcal, Modiin (opens in a new tab)). On Friday nights light before Shabbat candles; on Saturday night, after Shabbat ends.

Local traditions and events

• The Modiin March has been held every year before Hanukkah since 2005 with the Maccabi World Union: a 5 km walk on Ben Shemen Forest trails suitable for strollers, a 1.2 km route for seniors and people with special needs, and a family happening in Monks Valley. It starts near the Ligad building in the Technology Park (municipality (opens in a new tab)). The 2026 date had not been published on 9 October; watch the city events board (opens in a new tab).
• The Modiin Heritage and Hanukkah conference, held each Hanukkah, brings historians and archaeologists together on Modiin's heritage, the Maccabees and Hanukkah; the city publishes the abstract booklets from past years (municipality (opens in a new tab)).
• The Tombs of the Maccabees off Route 443 became a Hanukkah destination after 1907, when 18 students from the Herzliya Gymnasium in Jaffa lit the first Hanukkah candle there; the Maccabi torch relay started at the site in 1943. Later research dismissed the identification, so treat it as a tradition (The Jewish Standard, 2006 (opens in a new tab); KKL (opens in a new tab)).

Hasmonean sites to visit during the holiday

• The Hasmonean Heritage Museum runs talks and workshops; its event calendar is at modiinmuseum.smarticket.co.il (opens in a new tab) (municipality (opens in a new tab)).
• The ancient Hasmonean synagogue off Sderot HaHashmonaim, which its excavators proposed identifying with Hasmonean Modiin (municipality (opens in a new tab)).
• Titura Hill and Givat Ashun, both with remains from the Hasmonean period (Titura (opens in a new tab); Givat Ashun (opens in a new tab)).

Practical

Schools are on holiday for part of Hanukkah; Sachlavim tzaharonim run 07:30-16:00 on school holiday days (municipality (opens in a new tab)). Shabbat and holiday times for the city are on the municipal candle-lighting page (opens in a new tab).