CBI Blogs

Shalom Chaverim.

Tonight, Thursday, December 7^th, marks the first night of Chanukah. Jews around the world will light their chanukiot according to their tradition. Some will use candles while many will use oil. Most will follow the teaching of Hillel by adding light each evening while some might follow that of Shamai, beginning with all 9 candles (including the Shamash) and diminishing the light as the days pass. No matter your family’s tradition or if this is your first time celebrating, I suspect you, like me, are craving the light to come over the coming days during what has been a very dark time.

When our children were very young, we always placed our chanukiah on a table in front of the living room window. During our few years in Southern Indiana our living room was also our family room. After dinner we would light the candles, sing the blessings, and then open presents – a gift for each of us. By the time everyone had spent some time with their new treasures the candles would have safely burned down, and we would move on with the routine of the evening. In 2007 we moved into the home we live in today. The traditions we started in Indiana continued although we were now in our formal living room, separate from our family room. It is fun to look through the years of photos of kids getting bigger all the while sitting on the same couch with new pajama sets from grandparents.

Fast forward several years and, with children living abroad, Jonathan and I have moved the chanukiah to the bar that divides our kitchen from our family room. We still light the candles and sing the blessings but, in order to watch the glow of the candles as they burn down, they are now in the middle of the house instead of in front of the window.

Tonight, while Jonathan is still away on business, Rebekah (who has been back for a visit) and I will decorate the house. I have been thinking, given the state of the world and the intense rise of what our remarkable speaker, Dr. Rachel Fish, at this morning’s JNF breakfast referred to as Jew-hate, it is time for us to return the chanukiah to the front window. Of course, Lacey, our dog, might not appreciate this as her bed resides there but maybe, for these 8 days, she can adapt, or we can figure out how to make space for both.

We will put the chanukiah in the window for the same reason we wear our Judaica proudly, continue to show up with our Jewish community for events, and keep visiting the classrooms of our children in secular schools to teach their classmates about our holidays. We need to give people the opportunity to be allies with us. To meet a Jewish person and to engage in conversation with them. For us to know that there is more love in the world than hate despite the voices of hate having a bigger megaphone.

I hope that all of us have a beautiful Chanukah season. This year more than others I hope the light pierces through the darkness and sooner, rather than later, we find ourselves living in a more peaceful world.

Chag Chanukah Sameach and Shabbat Shalom.