Hanukkah Party/Festival of Lights

Community Welcome !
December 18th @ 6 pm
Latke Dinner & Program w/ Rabbi Neal Weinberg
Donation: $10
Congregation Beit Shalom
115 E. Paseo Visalia
www. beitshalomvisalia.com
559-308-1333

IS IT THE JEWISH CHRISTMAS ?

Why don’t the Jews get to celebrate Christmas? Aren’t they so sad? Well, not really. The word Hanukkah means dedication. What kind of dedication? Why can’t they get a Christmas tree, put on lights, decorations, and get presents? Isn’t it just a Jewish Christmas? Not at all….

Jews are dedicated to maintaining their own faith. Even in the face of pressure to convert, threats of attack, dislocation from one’s home, or worse.To find out how it all started, we need to go back in time. Hanukkah was the first persecution of Jews as Jews leading a prayerful life. In 165 b.c.e. the Syrian-Greek empire ruled the land of Israel. The king of the empire, a Greek named Antiochus, seized the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and created new laws that forbid the prayer, study, and the commandment-oriented lifestyle and practices of the Jewish people. No praying . No keeping kosher. No teaching Jewish laws.

The only religion allowed by Greek rulers was the worship of Zeus and other g-ds of the Greek pantheon. Antiochus established laws in order to achieve his political agenda of dominance and triumphalism. He asserted his own divinity as the only legitimate avenue with which to connect to G-d. This scenario has been repeated through out the last 2500 years.

A group of Jewish rebels and country priests withdrew from Jerusalem and the Temple to plan an attack on the Greek army. These rebels refused to abandon their religion, customs, and heritage. They were led by one Judah Macabbee and his brothers. They defeated the Syrian-Greek army, reclaimed the Temple, and reestablished Jewish sovereignty over the land of Israel.

The temple was purified. Statues of Zeus were removed. It was rededicated with purified oil that had been blessed by the previous Jewish priests. Legend tells that a small glass vial of oil lasted not only one, but eight nights. From this, rabbis teach that G-d is in charge and can perform miracles.

How many pograms, political agendas (aimed at population control via unfair laws) , military attacks, persecutions, synagogue burnings, violence,murders, and finally the planned genocide of Jews and other people of differing religious beliefs — will it take for people of differing religious faiths and practices to not only tolerate, but respect, and protect the legitimacy of a human beings’ right to worship G-d in their own particular way? G-d created all peoples. We are all descended from Adam, then Noah. We are taught to respect G-d and G-d created all people. Hanukkah means a dedication to Jewish heritage – past, present, and future. No, Hanukkah is not a “Jewish Christmas”.

So, why do we celebrate for 8 nights, and why do children receive 8 presents – one for each of the 8 nights? Since Hanukkah falls close to Christmas, modern-day Jewish parents sweeten the celebration of the holiday for their children. The gifts are usually small and preferably meaningful in a Jewish sense. It is a time for family to gather around the menorah, both remembering historical struggles in dark ages and enjoying the light of religious freedom available to all people in the United States of America.

For Jews, food is symbolic. Our heritage is both written and passed through the generations orally. During the long times we have endured without sovereignty over our land, we have passed our laws and customs orally. We create continuity and educate while at the family dinner table. We eat potato pancakes fried in oil to symbolize not only the legend of the miraculous vial of lasting oil, but the miraculous existence and lasting spiritual endurance of the people of the Jewish people. We light one candle for each night of this holiday. G-d brought us through many seasons of darkness as well as times of great light. As the Creator of the World and everything in it, G-d is in charge. We sing songs of remembrance and dedication to an ethical and just G-d. Finally, we thank G-d for helping us to live and to reach this season.

The community is most welcome.Experience Hannukah and educational program given by Rabbi Neal Weinberg.

Happy Hannukah !

Cynthia Fischer, Para-Rabbinic & Congregation Beit Shalom
RSVP: 559- 308-1333