Rabbi's Messages

on Saturday, 29 November 2014.

Chanukah is our least important holiday.
Except that it's not.

Rabbinically speaking, the Festival of Lights is a minor holiday with relatively little stature. It's not mentioned in the Torah (because the events it celebrates had not happened yet). It's not a day of rest, or one of the Pilgrimage Festivals. There aren't even any specific synagogue practices associated with this holiday.

And yet, Chanukah persists as one of the most celebrated holidays in modern Jewish life.

Why? Well, let's be honest, some of the reason has to do with its proximity to the non-Jewish holidays going on at the same time of year. It's nice to be celebrating something when our neighbours are also celebrating something.

But I don't think that's the whole story. The messages of Chanukah resonate deeply with us today. It is a holiday that teaches us that miracles can happen; that individuals or small groups can make a difference; that Jewish life will go on regardless of adversity. We need only look around us to understand the power of these ideas. The rebirth of the State of Israel, the flourishing of Jewish life following the Holocaust - these are miracles of Maccabean proportions. When we sing about the miracle of the oil, I think we also mean these modern-day Jewish miracles.

Perhaps above all, Chanukah is a way of bringing warmth into a cold world. And opportunity to bring light into the darkness that surrounds us at this time of year. We do so with our candles, and with our blessings. We do so with our special foods, and with our community.

At Kol Ami, we celebrate Chanukah with the "Night of a Thousand Candles." Please join us Friday, December 19, at 6:30, for a special Chanukah-themed ROCK SHABBAT service. Bring your menorah and candles, and we will fill the sanctuary with light. A Chanukah potluck dinner will be held afterwards. You can just show up for the service, but please RSVP to jaykowal@gmail.com for the dinner.

Chag Sameach!

Rabbi Micah Streiffer