Hanukkah is a tale of rebellion. Or more like, rebellions. From Talmud to Maccabees, Judith to Zacharya, the stories of Hanukkah are jarring meditations on miracles, justice, violence, and power.

Heads will roll in this text-based conversation, as together we unpack the provocative questions raised in these raucous tales and reflect on the poignant mirrors they offer us today. Our exploration will include themes of assassination, assimilation, zealotry, and corruption — alongside the prophetic imperative to leave our own heads behind and let spirit take the wheel.

Open to all curious minds and sensitive hearts. No prior text study or Jewish knowledge needed. 

Rabbi Nate DeGroot (he/him) became The Shalom Center’s new Director in October of 2024, when, after 41 years at the helm, Reb Arthur Waskow passed the organization’s leadership to Nate. As Director, Nate is helping to steward the organization into its next chapter, reimagining Jewish holidays as portals for public prophetic action and building a national movement of sacred justice rooted in the Jewish calendar. Before becoming Director, he served as The Shalom Center’s National Organizer and Associate Director, supporting the organization's generational transition.

Ordained at Hebrew College in 2016, Nate previously worked at Hazon (now Adamah) in Detroit, IKAR in Los Angeles, and he founded a grassroots cooperative Jewish community in Portland, OR. He has served as a facilitator with Encounter, a Rabbinical Student Year in Israel Fellow with T’ruah, and he has worked with AJWS, the Amir Project, and more. He has been published in various articles and book chapters, and was an invited speaker at The Chautauqua Institution.

Living in Detroit, Michigan with his wife and two kiddos, Nate also serves locally as a part-time congregational rabbi, educator, and service-leader.