If you have any doubts as to whether Hanukah has been absorbed into North American culture as the winter holiday of the Jewish community, consider the fact that satellite radio is dedicating an entire station to Hanukkah music. Perhaps this will finally put to rest the discussion over whether Hanukkah is a major or minor festival. As one who is always looking for measures to determine the impact of specific activities, the entry of Jewish culture into American culture is important to note. It is a particularly important response to those who suggest that the interchange between Jewish and secular American culture always leads to the Americanization of Judaism at the expense of Jewish cultural values.

Maybe this provides the community with another opportunity to influence North American culture with the values of Hanukkah such as religious freedom, freedom from oppression, self-determination and self-government for a people. And for those on the periphery and for those from interfaith families, this represents another avenue of entry into Jewish culture and the Jewish community.