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Sara Cox Sits in with Strictly's Gemma Atkinson and Aljaz Skorjanec

Gemma Atkinson and Aljaz Skorjanec pop in to the studio ahead of this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing final. Sara Cox sits in for Chris so we hear your early morning achievements!

Gemma Atkinson and Aljaz Skorjanec pop in to the studio ahead of this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing final, with tales of their Strictly journey so far. Sara Cox sits in for Chris, so we hear about your early morning achievements from making soup to cycling, your love for electric blankets, plus lots of top tunes to chase the winter blues away in the Half Wower. Vassos chats to Paul Nicholson who's commentating at the World Darts Championships and Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski provides the daily Pause For Thought on the first day of Chanukah.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Wed 13 Dec 2017 06:30
Â鶹Éç Radio 2

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Strictly's Alexandra Burke and Gorka Marquez

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Music Played

  • Elton John

    Step Into Christmas

  • Naughty Boy & Joe Jonas

    One Chance To Dance

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin Records.

  • The Police

    De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

    • The Very Best Of Sting & The Police.
    • A&M.

  • Stevie Wonder

    What Christmas Means To Me

    • 20 Motown Christmas Classics (Variou.
    • Hitsville.

  • Donna Summer

    Winter Melody

    • The No 1 Christmas Album-Various Arti.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Jona Lewie

    Stop The Cavalry

    • The Ivor Novello Winners.
    • EMI.

  • Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie

    Lay Down For Free

    • (CD Single).
    • EastWest.

  • Kelly Clarkson

    Underneath The Tree

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
    • 001.

  • Jools Holland & José Feliciano

    Light My Fire (Radio 2 Piano Room, 12 December 2017)

  • Nat King Cole

    All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

    • Cole, Christmas & Kids.
    • Capitol.
    • 5.

  • Ed Sheeran & µþ±ð²â´Ç²Ô³¦Ã©

    Perfect Duet

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.

  • Mariah Carey

    All I Want For Christmas Is You

    • Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas.
    • Columbia.

  • Jamie Cullum

    Show Me The Magic

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
    • 1.

  • Journey

    Don't Stop Believin'

    • Rock Of America (Various Artists).
    • Trax Label.

  • P!nk

    Beautiful Trauma

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.

  • Coldplay

    Viva La Vida

    • Viva La Vida Or Death & All His Friends.
    • Parlophone.
    • 1.

  • Visage

    Fade To Grey

  • Snap!

    The Power

    • Holiday Hits: Non Stop Euro Pop (Var).
    • Virgin.

  • Rick Astley

    Never Gonna Give You Up

    • Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Someb.
    • RCA.

  • Little Mix

    Black Magic

    • (CD Single).
    • Syco Music.

  • Oasis

    She's Electric

    • What's The Story Morning Glory -Oasis.
    • Creation Records.

  • New Edition

    Candy Girl

    • Now 1983 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.

  • The Gap Band

    Oops Up Side Your Head

    • Soul Years 1980 (Various Artists).
    • Knight Records.

  • Leading Ladies

    I'm Every Woman

    • Songs From The Stage.
    • EastWest.

  • The Boo Radleys

    Wake Up Boo!

    • Various Artists - Untitled.
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • Lionel Richie

    Running With the Night

    • Body & Soul: Heart & Soul II (Variou.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Shania Twain

    Who's Gonna Be Your Girl

    • Now.
    • Mercury.

  • Olly Murs

    Dance With Me Tonight

    • In Case You Didn't Know.
    • Epic.
    • 24.

  • Lucy Spraggan

    Drink Til We Go Home

Pause for Thought

Pause for Thought

Harvey Belovski, rabbi at Golders Green United Synagogue

It’s the first day of Chanukah.  If you get a chance, take a walk just after dark around any Jewish area.  You’ll see people at their windows lighting candles in a special lamp called a menorah – one candle on the first night, two tonight, up to eight on the final night.  At our house, each of us lights a menorah and a quick calculation reveals that there will be over 70 candles burning on the final night.  This produces a spectacular display and an amazing wall of heat that can melt a chocolate coin – a much-loved Chanukah treat – at 10 paces.

Over 2000 years ago, Jewish life and practice in Israel were seriously threatened by Hellenists, a mostly-Jewish group influenced by Greek culture.  They challenged core Jewish ideas about spirituality, religion and particularly whether Mankind can partner with God to create a better world.  Tradition teaches that the Hellenist rulers attempted to ban Sabbath observance and outlawed circumcision, both acts of partnership between Man and God.  They closed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and treated the Bible as a work of intellectual, rather than religious, value, on a par with Aristotle.

Eventually, war broke out between the factions.  Despite being greatly outnumbered, the traditionalists triumphed and were able to reopen the Temple.  They found the place derelict, with insufficient oil to light the menorah-lamp for more than a day.  Yet a miracle occurred and the oil lasted for eight days until new supplies could be found.  Chanukah – which means rededication – celebrates that victory and the miracle.

They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat – that’s the Jewish way.  What foods, then, do we eat on Chanukah?   I’ve never quite understood the link, but because the original menorah-lamp was lit with oil, we eat oily foods, which are bad news for the waistline.  When I was a kid, people ate latkes – fried potato rissoles – on Chanukah.  But, apparently, they aren’t fattening enough, so latkes have mostly been replaced with doughnuts filled with jam, cream, chocolate or even custard.  The chocolate ones come in at an astonishing 450 calories each!  Doughnuts are delicious but often so oily there’s a good chance you could light it and it would burn for eight nights – perhaps a new way to celebrate the miracle of Chanukah?  Chanukah Sameach – happy Chanukah.

Broadcast

  • Wed 13 Dec 2017 06:30
    Â鶹Éç Radio 2

Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2

After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

500 Words

Â鶹Éç Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.