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Though she understands the
lasting eight days but of the victory
appeal of the festival-like settings
of a small band of Maccabees over a
large army in history’s first battle for of Chabad’s annual Menorah in the
religious freedom, which was taught D celebration, in her lifetime, she
connected most with the holiday in
to us by our sages and is contained
Jerusalem, where nearly every
within the Talmud,” Dubov
ABOVE:
family lights an oil-lit cha-
said. “We can tackle darkness
Chanukiyot in
nukiah displayed in a glass
and evil with the light of just
one little candle. We add one Israel are often enclosure just outside their
more each night as if we are displayed outside front window.
adding to our efforts to bring in a glass case,
Rabbi Mark Miller of
like these in
more good deeds into this
Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Jerusalem.
world. Today, our non-Jewish
Hills also sees a difference
neighbors have respect for
between the “public nature”
Jews who are proud of their religion. of Chanukah and public menorah
This is exactly what the founding
lightings. Miller said that it is the
fathers of the United States wanted
responsibility of each Jew — wheth-
[ freedom of religion] to mean.”
er they live alone or live with a fam-
Just as ancient rabbis Hillel and
ily — to “add a little bit of light to
Shamai debated the correct way
our neighborhoods, and play a vital
to light a chanukiah — the former
role in creating the ideals for which
believed that we should add light
we stand.
each night and the latter believed
“That beauty can be lost when,
that we should begin the festival
instead of each of us doing our small
with eight lights and take one away
part, we are all gathered together
each night — our contemporary
for one, large lighting in a public
Detroit rabbis also have vary-
setting,” Miller said. “Instead of
ing opinions about very public
many small gestures transforming
Chanukah celebrations versus more
the nature of our community, it
intimate, private ones.
becomes a solitary gesture aimed at
Rabbi Marla Hornsten of Temple
making a splash.”
Israel of West Bloomfield interprets
Rabbi Mitch Parker of
the publicizing of the Chanukah
Congregation B’nai Israel of West
miracle as being about being able
Bloomfield also thinks about the inti-
mate beauty of the oil-lit chanukiyot
to be more public with one’s Jewish
in Jerusalem. He added that it is also
identity without living in fear. She
a good thing to be able to celebrate
also recalls several times in this
country, especially in recent years in this minor holiday within our private
homes and among large, public cel-
Montana, when entire towns placed
ebrations in the United States.
cut-out menorahs in their windows
“How wonderful is it that we now
after the Jewish community there
live in a place and at a time when we
was threatened when displaying
can freely both carry out an impor-
their own menorahs.
tant mitzvah of Chanukah in public
“I remember when at times I used
to tuck my Jewish star necklace
and not be afraid of retribution on
into my sweater to hide my iden-
the part of our neighbors,” Parker
tity,” Hornsten said. “Now there are
said. “All the more reason to cel-
menorahs that are 10 feet tall in the
ebrate this holiday in which we com-
middle of Detroit. It is definitely a
memorate the freedom to practice
different time.”
our religion.” •
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November 16 • 2017
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