Many Lights to Quell Much Darkness
It is no accident that the darkest time of the year welcomes our Festival of Lights. Many faith traditions and cultures meet seasonal challenges with compensatory ritual observance. But as usual, Judaism infuses metaphor with significant meaning, rendering ritual into an affirmation of fundamental values.
For millennia, Jews observed Chanukah as a continuing reminder of the fight for identity and religious freedom against the myriad of enemies who sought to eradicate our faith if not our very existence. And Chanukah 2022 is an amplified extension of that timeless struggle. The marked spread of antisemitism—a symptom of a much larger and ill US body politic—heightens our awareness of the tenacity of this mutating, civilizational virus, while compelling us to rise to meet this moment with courage, conviction, and hope.
As we kindle the lights of the menorah, let us also inflame our need to become ambassadors of love and faith, illuminating and enlightening the hearts and minds of our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens.