Tradition tells us that a miracle happened when the Maccabees lit the small amount of consecrated oil they found, and it burned the full eight days it took to produce more oil. Was it also a miracle that the rededication of the Temple happened to occur at the time of year when olive oil was made?

Olives have been pressed in the Mediterranean region for at least 5,000 years. In the traditional method, they are first ground into a paste using large millstones, and then pressure is applied, so that the oil and water run out of the paste. After the oil and water separate, the oil can simply be poured off. 

Most oil producers now use metal extracting machines. While the technology    has changed, the harvesting and pressing of olives is still a seasonal event in parts of Italy and Greece. Tourists can participate in picking and pressing olives in November and December at Aliki Pension on the Greek island of Paros. They receive personally labeled bottles appropriate for gift-giving.

People can also buy their own presses for home use from First Press, starting at around $3,000. But if Tucsonans would like to harvest olives at home, they need to be fortunate enough to have flowering trees that are already established. While olive trees grow very well in Tucson, it is no longer legal to plant flowering varieties in the city or county because they are highly allergenic, says Paul Ellis, a master gardener at the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension.

Two ornamental (non-flowering) olives do well in Tucson, says Ellis. The Swan Hill variety has deep green leaves, while the Wilsoni has grayer leaves. The optimal time to plant them is in October or November, so that the roots can develop over the winter. They can also be planted in March or April. Both varieties need full sun, says Ellis.

Even if they do not grow their own olives, Tucsonans can still make ceremonial use of this fruit. The Congregation Anshei Israel and Temple Emanu-El gift shops have oil-burning chanukiot for sale. Spectrum Organic Olive Oil, which is certified kosher, is available in local health food stores, and stone-crushed Bariani oil is available from California.

Several Israeli olive oils are available via the Internet, including IsRoil and Halutza.

Peace activists have also focused on the joint use of olives by Israelis and Palestinians, and Palestinian Holy Land Olive Oil is imported into the U.S. Some activists have held olive harvesting events, and introduced the idea of placing an olive on the Seder plate as an intention for peace.

To learn more:

An ancient olive oil press in Jerusalem: www.dig bible.org/tour/olivepress.html

Make your own olive oil in Greece: http://gogreece.about.com/library/weekly/aa111302a.htm

Bariani stone-crushed olive oil from California: http://www.barianioliveoil.com/

Israeli olive oils: http://www.isroiloliveoil.com/ and  www.halutza.co.il/english/Halutza-Olives-and-Olive-Oil.htm

Holy Land Olive Oil: http://www.palestineoliveoil. org/

How olive oil is made with a modern press:  http://www.oliveoilsource.com/mill_and_press_facts.htm