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Happy Hanukkah from JOI!
Hanukkah is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. (Truth be told, I enjoy each Jewish holiday for what it brings to the Jewish spirit and psyche.) I don’t care whether it comes early or late.
(I do realize that retailers prefer that Hanukkah come after Christmas so that the Jewish community can take advantage of after-Christmas sales and complete the season for them.) I only want to make sure that it is celebrated to the fullest. Those who say it is minor holiday are out of touch with Jewish children in North America. Sure, there is something simple and beautiful in the Hanukkah menorah burning brightly on the window sill. It belongs there as a way to show off/make public the miracle—in Hebrew called persumat hanes. But there is also something nice about a Jewish holiday that motivates us for the entire month that surrounds the eight day celebration with parties and decorations and gifts. Hanukkah celebrates religious freedom. It celebrates Jewish independence. Why shouldn’t we celebrate it to the fullest?
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