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CRITICAL page 23
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so young must be imbued with
L.7 , ) a strong sense of history,
purpose and heritage. They
must
begin to gravitate to Jew-
. .
(1 - ish scholarship, Israel, charity,
g synagogue, and most critical of
-LE all, to the continuity of our peo-
ple.
Each generation of Jews has
its own challenges and obliga-
tions. I am convinced that our
task is to ensure the future vi-
tality and strength of our peo-,—
ple. There is so much that needs`
to be done and accomplished.
However, as we heard clearly in
Seattle, in order to reach our
maximum potential, we must
work together, hand-in-hand, to
pursue our common heritage
and destiny. ❑
'
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Chanukah
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T
he smell of latkes fills our
In one of the Torah's several
homes. The youngest mem- descriptions of the menorah light-
bers of our families try to ing procedure, we are told "that
scout out our newest hiding when the flames are kindled, they
place for holiday gifts. Beautiful should light up [the central staff
hanukiyot cast their warmth of] the menorah, and thus shall
against the window panes. All of all seven lights be illuminated"
our senses inform us that
8:2). This verse gives
Chanukah is here again. As we primacy to the center light; it is
retell the story of the Maccabees, the essential menorah, flanked
what Chanukah lesson do we by the other six lights, three on
need to hear this year?
each side.
C
When Judah and his fighters
Evidently, the six side lights
retook the Holy Temple from the were oriented in such a way as to
Syrian-Greeks, they found a cast their reflection onto the cen-
dreadful mess.
ter. Most of the classical com-
According to tradition, they di- mentaries accept this approach.
rected their energies to cleaning Rabbi Ovadiah Seforno (of 15th-
and repairing the Temple, and century Italy) expands this ex-
the object which they first set planation by likening the lights
about replacing was the men o- of the right to those who concern
rah, the seven-branched cand e- themselves with "eternal mat-
labrum. Why the menorah?
ters," and the lights of the left to
To be sure, the menorah car - those who are involved with "tern-
ried age-old significance for th e poral matters."
Jewish people. When the in
The Seforno teaches that both
structions for building th e of these groups have an over-rid-
Mishkan — the moveable Taber - ing and compelling responsibili-
nacle of the Wilderness — wer e ty to turn inward, toward the
given to the Israelites, the meno - center staff, so that the illumi-
rah was the centerpiece; it wa s nation of the menorah can be
the most immediate symbol o f complete.
God's presence among the peo
How urgently do we need this
pie. It is a symbol whose potency message of the menorah today?
continues to our day, when we The divisions between liberal and
have an eternal light adorning traditional Jews have never been
our synagogue sanctuaries, cast- bolder, with both laying claim to
ing away the darkness with the authenticity.
light of the Torah.
The center has been obscured
The menorah speaks to us within the shadows of infighting,
with powerful imagery. But an to the extent that the entire
essential feature of this symbol menorah may be cast into dark-
may be slipping away from us to- ness. Not for this did the
day. Without it, our Chanukah Maccabees struggle in the past.
will be incomplete.
And not for this have we come so
far in our efforts to build a thriv-
Dr. Richard Wagner is
ing Jewish community in Amer-
headmaster of the Greenfield
ica, and a Jewish homeland in
Hebrew Academy.
Israel.
","
❑