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Po Sharing A Long-Distance Chanukah
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By ADINA LIBERLES
Snow fell quietly but relentlessly
from laden clouds. Ronit watched as
it built up into a thick layer on the
naked branches of the tree swaying
outside her dining room window. As
if in anticipation of the penetrating
cold she would soon feel when she
stepped outside, she gave a
shudder and searched for a
cardigan to put over her school
uniform .
Everything was so different here
in Montreal from Beer Sheva. When
her parents had discussed moving
to Montreal for a year or two, it had
sounded like so much fun: a chance
to travel, an opportunity to meet
different people, to discover the
world.
"You know how you've always
wanted your own room, Ronit," her
mother had said. "But our house is
just too small. Where would we put
Tamara and Noa? But in Montreal,
we'll rent a house with an extra
room for you."
If the anxieties of being
separated from her friends, from
studying in another language, or
being uprooted from her daily
routine had restrained her, the
promise of a room of her own, even
if only temporarily, convinced Ronit
the move would be worthwhile.
THE DE TR O IT J E WIS H N EWS
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But here it was, almost
Chanukah, and Ronit was
homesick.
Sure, there were terrific new
friends on Montreal. They had
helped her learn French, introduced
her to the sport of bowling, and
even taught her to ice skate. Well,
not exactly "taught." Ronit laughed,
as she recalled how she had spent
most of yesterday's trip to the arena
sprawled on the floor, but it had
been fun anyway. Montreal had so
many TV channels and so many toy
and clothing stores, Ronit certainly
enjoyed having a family car.
But for the last few days Ronit
had been feeling strange. Recently,
she had gone to the shopping mall
and seen all thia beautiful Christmas
decorations there. Ronit had never
experienced the Christmas season
before; and the splendor of color
and design, the sheer abundance of
lights and glittering balls, of candy
canes and angels hanging from
trees had overwhelmed her. But it
had also saddened her. These
weren't her symbols; this wasn't her
world.
A new understanding began to
form within her of a story she had
heard since she was very small.
Until now, Ronit had thought the
story of Chanukah had been about
military battles and flasks of oil.
But now she could almost feel
the temptation of the young Jews of
Hasmonean times to adapt
themselves to the Hellenistic world
with its adoration of physical beautiy
and excitement. Ronit felt it would
certainly be easy nowadays to take
over part of the Christmas spirit that
seemed to penetrate the very air
around her.
Was this what being in the
Diaspora meant for a Jew? A few
years ago Ronit's grandfather had
taken the children to Modin, the
home of Judah Maccabee and his
brothers. That day, as they had sat
on a cliff of the Judean Hills and
imagined together the struggle to
reclaim the Holy Temple from the
Greeks, Jewish history had begun to
come alive. But Montreal's
Cavendish Mall had given Ronit a
new perspective and a sense of
being an outsider in her present
environment.
Since then, Ronit had begun to
miss Israel more and more. Back
home, she knew, all the stores
would be decorated with menorahs
and dreidels and blue and white
streamers and start would grace the
windows. Large menorahs would
stand in city squares and small
ones in most home windows.
Nursery and kindergarten children
today would fill the streets with
headbands depicting candles and
oil jugs and with arms laden with
Chanukah pictures and gifts. The
radio would !----.)adcast songs of
freedom ai.,_ =wise; the TV carry
Chanukah c 'irations and
programs.
And of-curse, the children
were all erieged in last minute
plans of hoW to enjoy their week-
long school break. "I wonder where
my youth group is going for their
Chanukah trip," she thought,
wishing she could join them. Best of
all, Ronit knew that she was part of
this life, not just a spectator.
Going to the closet, Ronit put
on her coat, ear muffs, gloves and
boots. Purse in hand, she went
down the stairs and opened the
door. A blast of freezing wind
whipped her coat scarf. She
hesitated, then stepped bravely into