Our Lights of Chanukkah – Past, Present and Future
It is our obligation to Light them
Shalom ARZA Canada members and supporters,
As we begin the eight day journey of lighting the Chanukkah candles we have eight opportunities to add light to our lives and the lives of others who are close and far.
The story we are familiar with, of the oil that would not have been sufficient for more than one day, yet went on and on for eight days and nights, is an idea of how we must live our lives.
We may feel that what we are doing is lighting a small light but each of us is a light, and together we can spread the message of our love and care for Israel and for our communities.
An Israeli song from the days of the chalutzim, the pioneers, who came to build the state of Israel says:
"Nes lo kara lanu - pach shemen lo matzanu La-emek halachnu ha-hara alino Mahayanot ha-orot hagnuzim gilinu". Which translates as: “A miracle did not happen to us, we did not find a little can of oil. We went into the valley and climbed a mountain, the secret hidden lights we discovered.”
Following in the way of the pioneers, we at ARZA Canada do not wait for miracles to happen.
We who wish to be part of making the State of Israel a place we can feel comfortable in as Reform Jews, we must not wait for others to do. We must do everything we can to support Canadian Reform Jewry and Israeli Reform Jewry and find ways to help each other with the challenges and learn from each others experience.
In addition to the story of the miracle of the small cruse of oil, the other famous part of the Chanukkah story is the idea of the few having victory over the many.
This too is a powerful idea. The few can, with their faith, bring new ideas to the larger society.
We have an obligation to ourselves, to the future of Judaism and to the future of the State of Israel as a democratic and pluralistic society, to continue our struggle for human rights and for religious pluralism, as we move forward spreading the word of Reform Jewish Zionism across Canada and Israel.
Each of us lights one little light and then we add another and another, so by the time we reach the last night of Chanukkah we have given ourselves and the larger Jewish community a feeling that all those small lights, all those small and large congregations across Canada and Israel can, and will, make a change and inspire others to follow us.
ARZA Canada does not just recall and celebrate past holidays and events.
ARZA Canada is helping to create a story of light that will be told and celebrated in the future.
I am inspired by meeting Rabbis, Temple leadership and members of Temples who are interested in understanding in depth the situation of Reform Judaism in 21st century Israel.
I look forward to continuing my journey and goal of spreading the word of ARZA Canada across Canadian Reform congregations and members.
Happy Chanukkah!!
Let their be light!!!