Come To
"Chanukah
at Barry's"
Gift Guide
the
Latkeell
Chocolate Gelt, Bittersweet Too! • Chanukah Cookies • Chocolate
Lollipops • Dreidels • * Slinkys • Lighted Dreidels • Decorations •
Lighted Window Garlands • Chanukah Candles • Weaved beeswax
Candles • Holiday mates, Napkins & Tablecovers.
FREE DECORATION*
with minimum $10 purchase, while supplies last
Visit Our Showroom Filled With Delightful Chanukah Paper Goods And Unique Holiday Gifts
BARRY'S
For Rentals AND rarty pa per Goods AND Gifts
Crosswinds • Orchard Lake Road At Lone fine • West Bloomfield
248"855"0480
KLEIN
from page G5
darker, and as we leave Chanukah, not
calendar. Chanukah then, is a celebra-
only is the moon gaining strength in
tion of survival: both then and now
the night sky, but daylight has begun
We light more than candles in our
to lengthen too, moving us perceptive-
homes each Chanukah, for we remind
ly closer to the rebirth of spring.
ourselves that the miracle we remem-
But Chanukah is more than a cele-
ber is the miracle we live. Before our
bration of renewed natural light. Our
time, the Maccabees fought for their
holiday has a message beyond the uni-
identity, and long after we are gone,
versally human and objectively natural;
Jews will struggle to maintain their
it is a reminder that we are particularly
collective integrity, and the unique
Jewish in a particularly non-Jewish
value of our heritage. The candles of
world. Our celebration of Chanukah
our Jewish identity may flicker and
holds in tension the opposite forces of
seem fragile, but they burn nonethe-
assimilation and Judaization. We _reca ll
less, and with our light we kindle light
that the Maccabees fought not only the
in others.
occupying Assyrian-Greek army, but
We are held in the rhythms of our
also Jewish Hellenists who wanted to
natural cyclical seasons and our reli-
divest themselves of Jewish custom, cul-
gious year. Both rhythms reinforce
ture and appearance in order to more
regular renewal and affirmation. At
easily enter the modern secular world.
Chanukah we turn from the gloom
That conflict-in-tension between
and darkness of the growing night,
Jewish particularistic identity and
and to the attractive brightness of
social assimilation is still with us. As
lighted Chanukah menorot in Jewish
Jews we all live in a thoroughly non-
homes. We turn into ourselves and
Jewish environment. There is an
into the protecting warmth of family
attraction in the glamour and excite-
and friends. From the Chanukah
ment of complete American cultural
menorah, we see in growing, glowing
inclusion. There was an attraction for
radiance, the renewing symbol of
the Maccabees and their fellow Jews of Jewish presence and Jewish purpose.
ancient Judea, who saw in the
May the candles ever brighten our
Hellenism of the Assyrian-Greeks an
lives, reminding us of how personally
entree into a better, more socially
special it is to be Jewish.
acceptable world. The darkness that
—Rabbi Joseph Klein is a f Jliated with
covered Judea in the 2nd C. BCE was
Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park.
the reality that an alien culture, hav-
ing first attracted Jews away from
NELSON from page G5
Judaism, was now forcing Jews to
abandon their religious life and faith.
Against the few Jews who felt that
We must understand carefully the
Judaism was worth 'living' and thus •
message of the festival of Chanukah.
worth saving, AntiOchus Epiphanes
It is up to us to try to follow the
ordered that Jewish life and living
example of Mattathias, and to train
cease.
our children to appreciate and value
Judah and his rebel army fought for
the ideals of Judaism. Only such
two years against the Assyrian-Greek
appreciation will enable them to stand
forces — not for national liberty, but
by our side and fight for what is pre-
for freedom of faith — the right to be
cious and sacred to our faith. It will
Jewish. When the Assyrian-Greeks
not be sufficient for us to recall only
retreated, they returned the Temple to
the rededication of the Temple of old.
the Jews, allowing them to be Jewish
Rededication is called for on a person-
within their Hellenistic empire. The
al level. We should not be over-
darkness of forced assimilation ended
impressed by the fact that we have
when light was brought back into the
managed to survive as a people until
Temple. We remember that new
now We must find it within ourselves
beginning with Chanukah, a word that
to awaken and deepen in the hearts of
means "dedication." No other people
our youth — the love for their her-
or religion has a festival or celebration
itage and the traditions of their
dedicated exclusively to the freedom of
fathers. If we can do that, by example
faith. Only we affirm its singular
as well as precept, we shall then be
importance with an occasion on the
able to reenact the spirit that enabled
❑
DON THOMAS SPORTHAUS AND BOGNER, PARTNERS IN FASHION SINCE 1955
DON THOMAS SPORTHAUS FEATURES MICHIGAN'S FINEST
SELECTION OF WINTERWEAR AND STUNNING SLOPESIDE FASHIONS.
WEEKEND NOVICE OR DOWNHILL RACER, WE'LL PUT YOU ON THE RIGHT
`SKIS OR BOARD AND SHOW YOU HOW TO LOOK GOOD USING THEM.
r cAnigionta.s
Srorthaus
4SV
E ENJOY SKIING AS MUCH AS YOU DO.
1 1 / 23
2001
G6
,
6600 TELEGRAPH ROAD;
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