Hanukkah - a Holiday Celebrating Religious Freedom
in Atlanta GA Day 3
Lighting the Candelabra, known as a MENORAH or more specifically as the CHANUKIYA in Hebrew, is a declaration that Jews are free to celebrate their religion. Hanukkah is a Holiday Celebrating Religious Freedom for Jews and for all other Americans to celebrate their beliefs. (Daily video below.)
Although Hanukkah, a Holiday Celebrating Religious Freedom, was observed for centuries in Europe, there wasn't the freedom to be open about Jewish religious observances. For hundreds of years in Europe and elsewhere, Jewish houses of worship, called synagogues, were built behind high walls or behind other buildings for safety.
Question for today: Why is the MENORAH displayed in the front window of a home? Very simple answer - to reiterate the freedom illustrated by Hanukkah, a Holiday Celebrating Religious Freedom.
outside ---------> and inside - 3rd night
Here in the United States, synagogues have been built out in the open not behind sheltering walls. Observing all holidays, including Hanukkah, a Holiday Celebrating Religious Freedom seemed possible for Jews in the United States. The openly displayed MENORAH proclaims that fact.
Across the country, when incidents occured that seemed to negate the idea that it is safe in the USA to be openly Jewish, neighbors joined with the Jews to refute the actions of the vandals acting against the Jews.
Showing the true soul of America - that freedom and the acceptance of others is possible here - people in Bismark, ND showed solidarity with their Jewish neighbors whose home was attacked for displaying a MENORAH in their front window.They put a MENORAH in their front windows as well.
Yet again, as Jewish homes were vandalized for displaying the MENORAH, neighbors in Bucks County, PA showed solidarity and set a menorah in each of their non-Jewish homes. The same support surfaced in Billings, Montana. None of these neighbors were Jews yet they all stood up for freedom of religion in their own country.
For me, as an observant Jew, my freedom to declare my beliefs is a constant reminder of how fortunate I was to be born in the United States. For me, Hanukkah, a Holiday Celebrating Religious Freedom, is an especially important reminder of the privileges of being a US Citizen. May each of you find freedom to pursue your observances with your own friends and family in your own way!
Tomorrow, on the fourth day of Hanukkah, we will get to the really fun part - FOOD! Do you know what these are? Better still - have you tasted then? Recipes and more tomorrow!
Have a happy day,
Lynn
OUR DAILY VIDEO! Matisyahu singing "One Day"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five Day Six Day Seven Day Eight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments (2)Subscribe to CommentsComment