64 November 28, 1975

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Menora

Deep in his soul he began
to feel the need of being a
Jew. His circumstances
were not unsatisfactory; he
enjoyed an ample income
and a profession that per-
mitted him to do whatever
his heart desired. For he
was an artist. His Jewish
origin and the faith of his
fathers had long since
ceased to trouble him, when
suddenly the old hatred
came to the surface again in
a new mob-cry. With many
others he believed that this
flood would shortly subside.
But there was no change for
the better; and every blow,
even though not aimed di-
rectly at him, struck him
with fresh pain, 'til little by
little his soul became one
bleeding wound. These sor-
rows, burried deep in his
heart-and silenced there,
evoked thoughts of their
origin and of his Judaism;
and now he did something
he could not perhaps have
done in the old days — he
began to love his Judaism
with an intense fervor. Al-
though in his own eyes he
could not, at first, clearly
justify this new yearning, it
became so powerful at
length that it crystallized
from vague emotions into a
definite idea which he must
needs express. It was the
conviction that there was
only one solution for this
moral misery — the return
to Judaism.

The Jew of today had
lost the poise which was
his father's very being.
_ltr - This generation, having
grown up under the influ-
ence of alien cultures, was
no longer capable of that
return which he had per-
ceived to be their redemp-
tion. But the new genera-
tion would be capable of it,
if it were only given the
right direction early
enough. He resolved there-
fore, that his own chil-
dren, at least, should be
shown the proper path.
They should be trained as
Jews in their own home.

Hitherto he had permit-
ted to pass by unobserved
the holiday which the won-
derful apparition of the
Maccabees 'had illuminated
for thousands of years with
the glow of miniature lights.
Now, however, he made the
holiday an opportunity to
prepare something beauti-
ful which should be forever-
commemorated in the
minds of his children. In
their young souls should be
implanted early a steadfast
devotion to their ancient
people. He bought a men-
ora, and when he held this
nine-branched candlestick
in his hands for the first
time, a strange mood came
over him. In his father's
house also the lights had
once burned in his youth,
now far away, and the recol-
lection gave him a sad and
tender feeling for home. The
tradition was neither cold
nor dead — thus it had
passed through the ages,
one light kindling another.
Moreover, the ancient form
of the menora had excited
his interest. Clearly the de-
sign was suggested by the
tree — in the center of the
sturdy trunk, on right and—

BY THEODOR
HERZL

THE CLASSIC
ESSAY

left four branches, one be- into this form of art, at once his children, gave him great strangely remained burn-
low the other, in one place, so simple and natural! And pleasure. There was a lova- ing so long, the story of the
and all of equal height. A our artist wondered to him- ble ring to the word when it return from the Babylon-
later symbolism brought self if it were not possible to came from the lips of little ian exile, the second Tern-
with it the short ninth animate again the withered children.
ple, the Maccabees — our
branch, which projects in form of the menora — to
On the first night the friend told his children all
front and functions as a water its roots, as one would candle was lit and the ori- he knew. It was not very
"servant." What mystery a tree. The mere sound of
gin of the holiday ex- much, to be sure, but it
had the generations which the name, which he now
plained. The wonderful served. When the second
followed one another read pronounced every evening to incident of the lights that candle was lit, they re-

peated what he had told
them; and though it had
all been learnt from him, it
seemed to him now quite
new and beautiful. In the
days that followed, he
waited keenly for the eve-
nings which became ever/
brighter. Candle after can-
dle stood in the menora,
and the father mused on
the little candles with his
children till at length his
reflections became too
deep to be uttered before
them.

Then came the eighth
day, when the
burns, even the
ninth, the "servant," wh--ia
on other nights is used only
for the lighting of the oth-
ers. A great splendor
streamed from the men-
ora. The children's eyes
glistened. But for our friend
all this was the symbol of
the enkindling of a nation.
When there is but one light,
all is still dark, and the soli-
tary light looks melancholy.
Soon it finds one compan-
ion, then another, and an-
other. The darkness must
retreat. The light comes
first to the young and poor
— then others join who love
Justice, Truth, -Liberty,
Progress, Humanity and
Beauty. When the candles
burn, then we must all
stand and rejoice over the
achievement. And no office -
can be more blessed than
that of a Servant of the
Light.
Theodor Herzl

Historic photo of Dr. Theodor Herzl, founder of the World Zionist Organization and organizer of the World Zionist
Congresses, taken during a Zionist Congress on the bridge of the Three Kings Hotel in Basle, Switzerland.

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Who's the mad king in the story,
How the Jews were crowned with glory?
Antiochus, Antiochus.

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[For Hanukah

Therefore I believe that
a wondrous generation of
Jews will spring into ex-
istence. The Maccabees
will rise again.
Herzl="The Jewish State"

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How the Jews were

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He struck the traitor to the

He raised his sword that all
might see;
His words rang like a trumpet
blast:
"All who are faithful, follow
me!"
From near and far all Israel
came;
They rallied to his battle cry;
They prayed unto the God of
Peace,
And for their Law went forth
die —
To die — and yet today they
live;
Far down the centuries flaming
see
That beacon-sword! Hear that
strong cry:
"All who are faithful, follow
me!"

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How do we recall the story,
How the Jews were crowned withglory?
Candles tell us. Candles tell us.

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E. E. Levinger

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