On the first day of a holiday that marks the ending of darkness, one Jewish social worker is focusing on the power of community.

For people living with addictions, Dorit Kosman said it's something that often gets left behind.

"When someone struggles with a substance use disorder or a behavioural addiction and their life is falling apart, one of the first things they do is they separate themselves from their family, from their communities," said Kosman, who works with clients struggling with substance use issues at Winnipeg's Jewish Child and Family Services.

"A lot of it is guilt and shame, and they're destroying themselves, and maybe it's to protect those around them. Sometimes, families and friends have to have boundaries and they're protecting themselves."

Kosman told CBC's Weekend Morning Show host Nadia Kidwai on Sunday that Hanukkah is a magical, exciting time of year for children, and a time many adults still hold fond memories of. It's part of what can make reconnecting with culture so impactful in the recovery process, she said.

"Bringing them back to that memory is extremely helpful. It's like finding that childlike, innocent place inside," she said.

'Hanukkah means recovery'

The history behind the tradition goes back over 2,000 years, to when the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate it from Seleucid Greek rule and rededicate the Temple with a new altar and menorah in 139 BCE.

The Maccabees only had enough oil to light the new menorah for one day, but according to tradition, it ended up burning for eight nights. Since then, a festival of lights has been celebrated every year to remember the occasion.

Kosman said the story behind the celebration is one that can resonate with people battling addictions.

"Hanukkah means rededication," she said. "Those in recovery have to rededicate themselves every single morning that they wake up."

That's why Kosman said Jewish Child and Family Services organized an event last week inviting people in recovery to come together for a session with a rabbi who talked about Jewish perspectives on recovery.

She said the group of people at that event came from all kinds of recovery journeys.

"Sometimes they've been in recovery for 30 years-plus, some of them are new in their recovery," she said. "It was a really great mix and it was just a chance for them to come together as a community to be with each other."

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday and lasts until sundown on Dec. 30.