I'll Leave the Light On For You

Of all the candles in the Hanukkiah, the one that usually gets the least respect is the shamash. The original meaning of the word, shamash, is attendant, servant, janitor, caretaker or orderly. The shamash is the candle that kindles all of the other Hanukkah candles but is not counted toward the eight days of Hanukkah.  Yet, without the shamash none of the other candles could be lit, since each of these other candles, according to Jewish law, cannot be used for any purpose other than providing their Hanukkah light. So what can we learn from the “servant” candle? - That no matter a person’s job, they should be treated with respect and dignity, since without their hard work most of the things we take for granted could not be fulfilled.  Indeed the Rabbis realizing this lesson required that the lowly shamash, be given a place of honor either higher than the other candles, or set to the side from the other candles.

Yet, all too often the people in these roles become “invisible people.”  People that while they are serving, helping, cleaning, working behind the scenes or literally right in front of us are simply looked past, and ignored.  From cashiers, sandwich makers, toll collectors, nurses, maintenance people, hotel staff, etc. It is amazing to see the smile on a persons face when they are simply thanked or wished a great day. For someone to acknowledge that the work they do is valued and appreciated but even more that they are human beings worthy of respect, kindness, and dignity.

          On Hanukkah, we all can remember the efforts of the many different people, big and small, throughout the year, whose hard work and efforts make our world and our lives better. Hanukkah Sameach! May the Festival of Lights fill your home with warmth, cheer, and love and may we all be privileged to share it with those around us.

Latkes and Cranberry Sauce: Perfect Together!

If I were the Hallmark cards company, I would take advantage of a super-limited once in a 77,000 year opportunity to print Thanksgivukkah cards. Not only could they be collectors items but who knows if paper cards will even exist then! But the confluence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah have a lot more in common than meets the eye, particularly in their origin stories. Hanukkah as a holiday commemorates the struggle for Jewish religious and political freedom. Buckling under the tyranny of both the Greeks and their hellenistic Jewish sympathizers, Jews were forbidden to practice Judaism. They were humiliated, forced to partake of pagan rituals, and killed. Finally, a group of freedom fighters, led by Mattathias and his five sons, took up arms and after a long gorilla war, won our independence. The holiday of Hanukkah was instituted by the victors to commemorate the military victory and the purification and rededication (the Hebrew word Hanukkah means to Dedicate) of the Temple. 

For the Puritans, aka the “Pilgrims”, they first came to these shores to seek refuge and escape the religious persecution and intolerance they faced in England. Willing to risk their lives and that of their families, they set sail to a relatively unknown land with few of the basic skills they would need to survive here. Yet, their hope was to found a “new Jerusalem”, and create a community and society based on their own religious convictions. One of their religious beliefs was a literal reading and strict adherence to the Bible. The Puritans made a point of celebrating each of the Torah’s holidays. They strictly observed the Sabbath, Pentecost (meaning revelation of the 5 books - our holiday of Shavuot), Thanksgiving (our harvest thanksgiving holiday of Sukkot), and Easter (pascal lamb & last supper). While it is most certainly true that without the help and guidance of Native Americans the Pilgrims would have perished in their new land, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they would have also celebrated a harvest Thanksgiving holiday a la Sukkot with their Native American neighbors.

Both ironically and sadly, these same Pilgrims, would later persecute Jews seeking the same religious freedom in America. In fact when, the first Jews came to America, escaping from the long arm of the Catholic Church’s Spanish (and later Portuguese) Inquisition, they faced harsh religious intolerance and outright anti-Semitism at the hands of the Pilgrims. The Jewish community of Massachusetts Bay Colony were summarily thrown out of the territory and had to seek refuge from Roger Williams in Rhodes Island (i.e.,Touro Synagogue). 

Another aspect that both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving share is how the holidays added traditions different from their original stories and meanings. If the original Hanukkah holiday was focused on the Maccabean victory and the Temple; the holiday today, thanks to our ancient Rabbis, focuses on God’s miracle of the oil, and the lighting of the hanukkiah. In effect our tradition morphed Hanukkah from essentially a one day victory feast, to an eight day celebration focused on lighting one’s home, and a public display of Jewish identity (The Hanukkiah was traditionally placed in the window and lit so passersby could see - b’farhesiah). In modern times, Hanukkah changed yet again with presents, decorations, Jewish pride and Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song now a part of the Festival of Lights. The Thanksgiving of today also evolved over time. When President Abraham Lincoln officially instituted Thanksgiving, I am sure he could not imagine the Macy’s parade, NFL football, or sadly the mad rush of consumerism which has overtaken Thanksgiving’s original intention of giving thanks to God for home and hearth. 

With Hanukkah and Thanksgiving falling together this year, I believe we have a unique opportunity as Jewish Americans to educate ourselves and others about the true meaning of these holidays. From their origins of religious tolerance, thankfulness to God for all of the blessings we enjoy, and the co-operation and hope for our communities and society, we certainly have a lot to celebrate. So let’s enjoy our latkes with cranberry sauce, open our pantries to those in need, and bring the light of God into the world with kindness and joy! 

Happy Thanksgivukkah!