OTHER VIEWS

A New Year, A New Holiday?

A

New York City
s we begin
0 to count down to
the secular New Year — and
with Chanukah just behind us
and Tu b'Shevat not too far in the dis-
tance — it is a good time to take stock
of the Jewish holidays we celebrate.
Some holidays are commanded in
the Torah itself. Thus, we are told to
observe the three Pilgrimage Festivals
(Pesch, Shavuot and Sukkot). Other
holidays are post-Torah and derive
from our historical experience as a
people. Chanukah, for example, com-
memorates an incident that occurred
in 165 B.C.E.; while Purim, though
historically less certain, is said to
recount a remarkable story of salvation
that occurred in Persia in the fourth or
fifth century B.C.E.
Two of our most recently created
commemorations, Yom HaShoah and
Yom HaAtzmaut, were established by
legislation to memorialize significant

Rabbi Epstein is the executive vice pres-
ident of the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism, the organization
of Conservative congregations in North
America. His e-mail address is
epstein@uscj.org

events in our collective history. In
1949, the Israeli Knesset (Parliament)
created Yom HaAtzmaut to celebrate
the founding of the State of Israel in
our time. In 1955, the Knesset set
aside a permanent day each year for
commemorating the Holocaust. (In
fact, the Knesset has the ability to
change the days on which these holi-
days are observed — as they did last
year with Yom HaAtzmaut.)
It may be that today — a time of
insecurity, violence and frustration —
we need a new holiday. Perhaps it is
time to institute a new structure
through which we can express our col-
lective feelings of unease and meld our
voices together in a plea for a more
secure future.
I would, therefore, like to suggest
that we institute a holiday of peace —
Yom HaShalom, a day on which all
Jews will be encouraged to recite selec-
tions from the very many prayers,
psalms and blessings through which
the Jewish people have for millennia
implored God to grant peace to us
and to all humankind.
While it is true that we already
recite prayers for peace during both
weekday and Shabbat davening, many

My December Dilemma

1 ews in America call Christmas-
time the December Dilemma
for obvious reasons. But this so-
called December Dilemma didn't
affect my family until a certain
December when we suddenly found
ourselves in a small town called
Wheeling, W.Va., very different from
other places where we lived before.
Till then, Christmastime was no more
than a spectator sport, as far as I was
concerned. To be sure, it was quite
enjoyable for me to see the streets with
festive decorations and store windows
with spectacular displays and, most of
all, to hear the beautiful holiday music
that filled the air. I admit that it felt
pretty good to witness all the hustle and
bustle around me while I could just
enjoy everything without the pressure to
buy endless gifts for endless people.
In my native Hebrew, there is an
expression that expresses it well, lei-
hanot min hahefker — to derive enjoy-
ment from something that is there for
the taking.

43

Rachel Kapen, an Israeli native and
daughter of Israeli pioneers, is a West
Bloomfield resident.

Well, in Wheeling, it was different.
There were no Hebrew day schools or
other built-in support systems that
protect us from our Christian sur-
roundings. For the first time, I felt I
was experiencing the December
Dilemma.
When my third-grader, Avi, came
home to tell me that together with class-
mates he would participate in pre-holi-
day caroling, sung in German to boot,
and that our very Jewish home was
selected as one of the lucky homes in
front of which the young carolers would
stop, I was overcome with a sense of
uneasiness, if not sheer panic. The very
idea of my son taking part in a Christian
ritual so foreign to us and to our own
tradition was new and confusing.
I similarly reacted when my older
son, Udi, came home to inform me
that he was selected by his all-boys
high school to read the story of the
birth of Jesus and to read it in French
from the New Testament in the annual
Christmas concert.
Well I had to decide, and fast,
whether to assert our very strong
Jewish identity. I asked the respective
schools to please exempt my sons from

of us rush through these daily
to seekers of peace in our time,
recitations, giving little
with attendees encouraged to
thought to what we are say-
bring in the names of people
ing. Nothing focuses the mind
they feel are worthy of emula-
as wonderfully as a holiday
tion.
with its own ritual, foods,
Still, real peace requires
melodies and liturgy. If that's
concrete initiatives. It is too
what it will take to focus our
easy for any one person to
RABBI
minds on peace, it's well
regard a contribution to
JEROME M. peacemaking as being beyond
worth the effort.
EPSTEIN
We wouldn't have far to
his or her grasp. On Yom
look for liturgy: We are told
Special
HaShalom, each Jew should
in the Bible to seek peace and
Commentary feel inspired to make a mean-
pursue it; prayers for peace
ingful contribution to one of
abound in the siddur, and we
the many organizations that
greet each other with the
work to foster peace. Of equal
word shalom. It is a key concept, a
importance must be the realization
primary value, in our tradition. Each
that universal peace can only evolve
Jewish stream could provide its mem- from small — and sometimes seem-
bers with a collection of readings to
ingly insignificant — peace initiatives.
recite while sitting at work, attending Harmony between individuals
to various errands, or during a medi-
becomes the foundation for peace
tative lunch hour. Chances are, many between civilizations.
of us already say brief, private prayers
To truly actualize Yom HaShalom,
for peace when we hear of the latest
let each of us reach out to at least one
terrorist bombings or military
person with whom we currently expe-
campaigns.
rience some tension or enmity and
make a good-faith effort to improve
Making A Commitment
relations. If the holiday catches on, we
As part of this new observance, we
can share it with our neighbors, invit-
might commit ourselves to see a movie
ing others to join us in affirming the
or read a book about efforts to achieve
value of peace. In this way, we will
peace. We might also attend lectures and
truly serve as an or rgoyim, a light
participate in gatherings that pay tribute
unto the nations. II

taking an active part in prac-
tion not his own, but he did it
tices foreign to their religious
not as a new believer, but as a
tradition.
committed Jewish child out of
My husband, Shelly, already
respect to his Christian
left for Detroit to assume his
friends, for which he was
new position at the Veterans'
rewarded in kind.
Administration Medical
There soon followed the
Center, so I called him to seek
annual Christmas concert of
his advice, but he, who makes
Udi's high school. I was
RACHEL
life and death decisions on a
accompanied there by our
KAP EN
daily basis, always had a prob-
Reform rabbi, Daniel Lowy, of
Community
lem with decisions of a more
the 150-year-old Temple
Perspective
mundane nature. So here I
Shalom. As soon as we entered
was on my own. After a great
the beautifully decorated hall,
deal of aaonizinab I decided to do
we could hear the beautiful Chanukah
nothing and let the chips fall where
music interspersed with traditional
they may.
Christmas music. I found myself whis-
In hindsight, this was the best deci-
pering to my rabbi, "This is for us."
sion I could have made at the time.
He seemed as touched as I was.
I first realized that when I went with
As strange as this may seem, by
my neighbors to listen to the young
actively participating in the Christian
carolers bundled up in that chilly
celebrations that particular year, we not
Wheeling night. The carolers, respect-
only compromised our own Jewish
ing their teacher's instructions, some-
identity but also enhanced it, so I
what deviated from the usual by
believe. Moreover, by learning firsthand
adding "and a happy Chanukah to
what mutual understanding and good
you" in deference to their friend Avi
will are all about, there is something
and to the chanukiah showing so
else that we learned: If it can happen in
proudly on our windowsill.
one small corner of the world, why
Hearing this seemingly insignificant
couldn't it happen anywhere else where
gesture of good will sent a surge of
it is needed so urgently.
warmth throughout my entire being.
So let this be our hope and prayer
Avi was indeed participating in a tradi- for 2005.

,

12/24
2004

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