Last week, local headlines spoke of the Westbrook city government’s decision to remove a Star of David from its holiday display following complaints from local residents who found the symbol offensive because of the war in Israel. While a dreidel was put up in its place, this act – which some may see as just an issue of a legal nature – symbolically represents a larger issue facing Jews today: the feeling of exclusion and marginalization in public life.
Across the U.S., people have been ripping down pictures of Israeli hostages. There have been protests in the streets where people are chanting for the nation of Israel’s destruction. College campuses have become a hotbed of intolerance – and you don’t need to look far to find anti-Jewish rhetoric online.
As a rabbi in Portland, I see these instances as a poignant reminder of the challenges we face in preserving our identity, faith and heritage. When my constituents ask me what they can do in response, the answer I give is one that is found in the very story of Hanukkah itself, which is celebrated this year from nightfall on Thursday, Dec. 7, until the evening of Friday, Dec. 15.
Hanukkah (“dedication” in Hebrew) is an eight-day long holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jewish people in the second century BCE over the ancient Assyrians. The militarily weak, but spiritually strong Jewish people overcame an adversary who wished to impose religious restrictions on them in an attempt to force them to adopt the Assyrian way of life.
Against all odds, a small band of faithful and lightly armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated the mighty Assyrian army, drove them from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of God.
When they sought to light the Temple’s menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single jug of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity. Thus the holiday of Hanukkah was instituted, to serve as a constant reminder of the importance of not giving up on what we believe in and the power of freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and of the ultimate victory of good over evil.
Similarly today, as we face a newfound opportunity to double down on who we are as Jews, we will win the battle against darkness by spreading the light.
There have been college campuses demanding the removal of Jewish professors and physical attacks on Jews of all backgrounds. So, we respond by gathering in unity to spread love, kindness and positivity. This is what Hanukkah is all about: taking every opportunity to face the darkness and transform it into a shining flame of light and hope.
While there are soldiers protecting our brothers and sisters in Israel militarily, we need to do our part to provide spiritual protection. By increasing our acts of goodness and kindness and sharing the light of Hanukkah with family and friends, we help spread positivity and unity among all people.
For Jews this Hanukkah, it is not enough to light the menorah within the privacy of our homes. Public menorah lightings symbolize the victory of light over darkness, and this is a universal message that our world needs now more than ever. Come join the Chabad of Maine on Dec. 7, where we are hosting a menorah lighting in front of Portland City Hall at 5:30 p.m., which follows our annual car-top menorah parade.
This Hanukkah season, regardless of how much or how little you usually do, take a moment to do something extra to spread the light further via acts of kindness and community. Reach out to someone who you normally wouldn’t. Give your time or your money to worthy causes.
Visit someone who is homebound or in the hospital. If they are Jewish, help them light the menorah and experience the joy of Hanukkah.
This Hanukkah, I will be lighting my menorah in the memory of those who were murdered on Oct. 7, and for those still in captivity who are unable to kindle the candles this year. Let us all become ambassadors of light, spreading goodness and kindness and dispelling all darkness and evil from our world. Let us recommit to our heritage and the pride in knowing who we are and standing up for what we believe in.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
