What Jews Believe

By Rabbi Judith Schindler

Chanukah – A Celebration of Religious Freedom, A Celebration of Light

Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, comes at the physically darkest time of the year just as the moon completely wanes, casts its smallest amount of light on the winter’s night sky, and then grows anew. Yet our Jewish holiday is more than simply an ever-increasing number of candles during these eight dark, cold nights. The Jewish word Chanukah means “dedication” and celebrates the Jewish commitment to keep our faith alive even in those times when it is most difficult.

The narrative behind the holiday took place in 168 before the Common Era when a cruel Syrian leader, King Antiochus Epiphanes IV, forced the people over whom he ruled to hellenize. Observance of the Jewish Sabbath was forbidden and our holy Temple in Jerusalem was taken over as the idol worship of Greek gods and the sacrifice of pigs tainted our sacred altar. In the face of being exiled from our holy place and in the face of Jewish lives being threatened with death if they didn’t offer sacrifices on portable pagan altars, a rebellion ensued. A ragtag army known as the Maccabees equipped only with spears, bows, arrows and rocks waged a war against well-trained and well-resourced Syrian soldiers. In a three-year campaign this small military force was able to prevail, to recapture the Temple, to clear away the pagan idols, and to rededicate it as their own. When the Maccabees finally recaptured the Temple their first religious act was to kindle a sacred light. Hence began the celebration of Chanukah marking the re-dedication of our Temple.

For centuries the rabbis and historians of Judaism have argued over the precise nature of Chanukah’s miracle. Some say that the miracle of Chanukah was that of a military victory – of an inferior military overcoming one that had far greater capability. Others, like the Rabbis of our books of wisdom called the Talmud, say the miracle was not the military victory but of a cruse of oil. When the Maccabees arrived at the Temple and wanted to rededicate it, they found only one small vial of oil that still had upon it the Priestly seal. With it, they kindled the Temple menorah (candelabrum) and miraculously it lasted not one, but for eight full days. The rabbis of old asked themselves, “What was the miracle of the first day of Chankuah, since there was enough oil in the cruse to burn for that day?” And they responded that the miracle of the first day was the deep faith that it took to light the menorah, knowing that there wasn’t going to be enough oil to last for eight days.

Each year on this holiday, as Jews we celebrate the miracle of our people’s survival by lighting an increasing number of candles on a nine-branched Chanukah menorah (one is the servant candle that lights the other eight). We proudly place it in our windows and celebrate the wonders we have known. We celebrate our holiday with our community, with family and friends, and with cooked in oil such as potato pancakes called latkes and with jelly donuts.

During these darkest days of winter, we celebrate the spiritual and physical lights of our faith that have sustained us over the millennia. We celebrate light prevailing over darkness and the strength that comes from God that enables us to persevere against all odds. We celebrate our fighting and remaining victorious in our quest for religion freedom.

In the winter, many faiths of the Charlotte landscape celebrate light. The Talmud teaches that a light for one is a light for one hundred. May each of us warm our city with the lights of our respective faiths and may all of us brighten our world with acts of acceptance, compassion, generosity, and peace.

Rabbi Judith Schindler is Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina. This year the Jewish holiday of Chanukah beings at sundown on December 11, 2010 and concludes at sundown on December 19, 2010.

Being Jewish in the Bible Belt During the Christmas Countdown

November 29, 2007

Rabbi Judy Schindler and Rabbi Micah Streiffer

The winter holiday season can be a confusing time for non-Christians, but it can also be an opportunity to embrace our own uniqueness and the diversity of faiths in our community. This is a discussion on how the Jewish community responds to the "December Dilemma" each year.

Rabbi Judy Schindler

Jews celebrate Hanukah in a sea of Christmas and it can be overwhelming to Jews (as well as to Christians.) It is a challenge and struggle for us all.

The greatest miracle of Hanukah is survival. On December 26th when Jews light the menorah and put it in their windows, we say that it is a miracle that such a small minority religious community has survived. By lighting the candles we keep alive the flame and passion of our faith as we rededicate our lives.

The word Hanukah, also spelled Chanukah, literally means “dedication.” The holiday traces back more than 2,000 years when the Jewish people lived under the oppressive regime of the Syrian ruler, Antiochus Epiphanies IV. In his effort to squash Judaism and “Hellenize” the people into one culture, this Syrian ruler forbade the reading of the Torah, circumcision and Sabbath worship. In an act of supreme desecration, he took over the Temple, erected an idol to the Roman god, Jupiter, and offered pigs on the altar as a sacrifice. This is a total abomination of the Jewish faith.

This “Abomination of Desolation” could not be tolerated. A ragtag army of simple farmers dedicated to their faith fought a three year war against this well equipped Syrian army. It is known as the Maccabean Revolt. Miraculously, after three years the Syrians were overthrown, the Temple was regained and cleansed.

The Jews wanted to rededicate their temple but there was only enough pure oil to last one day. Another miracle, the story goes, was that the oil lasted for eight days until more oil could be made. Therefore, the “Festival of Lights” is celebrated for eight days. “As we light the menorah it represents the miracle of the oil, the miracle of Jewish survival and the miracle of faith. It is important to remember that the miracle is God’s.”

As part of the festival of lights celebration, Jews eat foods cooked in oil such as “latkes”. Gift giving is not traditionally part of the holiday and gifts are not given in Israel today. However in America the holiday has so been effected by the commercialization of Christmas that, in competition, many Jewish parents have begun giving their children Hanukkah gifts.

Rabbi Schindler urged for more interfaith sensitivity. Not everyone in Charlotte is Christian. She talks about how it can be a struggle when her two boys come home from school and choral programs singing about the birth of Christ. That is hard on the self-identity of a Jewish child. Or earlier this week, Judy’s husband, Chip, was at Starbucks and asked if he would like a Christmas tree. He answered no politely. The person persisted, but we have a really great deal on a Christmas tree. Chip replied, Jews really just don’t need Christmas trees.

The first week of December when Judy and Chip drove home, there were 5 big blow up Christmas decorations on the street leading up to their house (Santas, Frosty, Grinches, etc) Judy said she wondered how her neighborhood got so tacky so quickly! Then she found out that her husband, Chip (and this is very unlike him) when he had seen all the Christmas blow-up decorations, had gone on-line and ordered a huge blow-up Hanukah Harry. So if you want to find Judy’s home in December…..look for Harry! And yet….they did have a little fear that someone might go past their home, see Harry, and target their house of throw stones.

Rabbi Micah Streiffer

There is a joke about the history of the Jewish people:

· They tried to kill us

· We won

· Let’s eat

In 1994 in Billingsly, Montana, a rock was thrown through the front window of a Jewish home that had the Menorah displayed in their house. The Police advised the Jewish family to remove the Menorah. The town responded that they should not have to remove the symbol of who they are and what they believe. And so the people in the entire town put Menorahs in their windows so that Jews would not be targeted.

There are actually 4 different stories that are told about Hanukah that come from the 4 different time periods. Which is the real story of Hanukah? Who knows? Which is the true story? All of them.

There are 4 themes of the Hanukah stories that are still relevant….and especially to Jews living south of the Mason Dixon line.

1. The lighting of the Hanukah candle, placed in the front window of Jewish households, is to show the world who we are as a people. The world around us really does not know who we are and by publicizing this miracle, it is a way to teach the world about Judaism. Yet as we do, we also realize that in the world in which we live, showing the world who we are - is not always safe.

a. As Jews, we are constantly educating people around us who we are. Every time someone says, “Merry Christmas” to a Jew, it is a dilemma. Do I:

i. Say Merry Christmas back

ii. Reply, Happy Holidays

iii. Say, I’m Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas but let me tell you about Hanukah….

b. I was 4 years old in Jackson, Mississippi in the checkout line at a grocery store with my mother. A well meaning woman looked at me and said, “Hey, little boy, is Santa Claus coming to see you this year? No…..Again, experiences like these can be hard on the self-identity of a Jewish child.

2. The lights represent the miracle that our faith has existed for 3000 years. What threatens Judaism?

a. First is anti-Semitism with many stories throughout history of crusades, pogroms and the Holocaust.

b. Second is assimilation. About 50 years ago Look Magazine predicted that the Jewish people will soon no longer exist but will be assimilated with intermarriages.

3. The biggest issue of being Jewish in the Bible belt is what is appropriate on public property? Is it a crèche, a living nativity, a Christmas tree….a menorah?

a. Judy talked about one day when her son came home from school talking about a dreidel on display that a child had made in an arts and crafts class. That simple symbol excited him so much because it affirmed his Jewish self-identity and made him feel welcome.

b. Judy added, “it would be great if along with the Christmas trees in our public places, we also put up a menorah to acknowledge the religious diversity of our city and nation.”

4. Lastly, there is the challenge of keeping our holiday traditions authentic. Hanukah has been blown out of proportion as a Jewish holiday. Other than Passover, it is now the most celebrated Jewish holiday even though it is a minor holiday. Yet it is hard to keep it authentic in the midst of all the Christmas commercials and consumerism.

a. We now have Hanukah dreidel lights and fortune cookies (so what does that have to do wit anything?!)

b. We are often asked if Hanukah is the Jewish Christmas – no.

Questions and answers:

1. What is the best way to spell Hanukah/Chanukah? It doesn’t matter as long as you are consistent in the same document.

2. Why does the date of Hanukah change? Jews follow a lunar calendar (similar to the Muslim calendar) and so our holidays are always early or late…but never on time!

Light pervades all of the December holidays from different faith traditions. Let us all be a light in our community as we try to understand one another.