A Chanukah Message from Rabbi Larry Sernovitz

Light Amidst the Darkness

Over the years, I have always found the lights of the Chanukah menorah mesmerizing. On many occasions, I have caught myself just staring into them as they swayed from side to side, and the sounds of the blessings filled the air. Surrounded by family and friends, celebrating the miracle of Chanukah always gave me hope about the future. No matter how big the challenges of the world, our country, our community, or my own happen to be, the light provided me moments of peace and tranquility.

Soon after, the sacred and powerful moment releases its grip on me and my consciousness of the world around me returns, including my family’s excitement to bite into the delicious latkes sitting on the dinner table. But the connection to the Jewish story remains, inspiring me to remember that there has always been, in every generation, challenges that we would have to confront. As the words of Zechariah, chapter 4, teach us, “Not by might and not by power, but by spirit alone, shall we all live in peace.”

In Talmud Shabbat 21b, we are taught that, “It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside, so that all can see it. If one lived upstairs, they place it at the window adjacent to the public domain. And, in a time of danger, one may place it on the table and that is sufficient to fulfill their obligation.”

One of the mitzvot of Chanukah is to place the Chanukah menorah in the window for all to see. Why? It is to let the world know, and perhaps even more so for us in the Jewish community to know, that the Jewish spirit is strong and that no matter what happens, including this new wave of antisemitism, that we will survive. The way to combat antisemitism is to take pride in our story and know that we are proud inheritors of a tradition that has brought light, and continues to do so, into the darkest places of our world.

Chag Chanukah Sameach! Happy Chanukah and find some time this season, and in the new secular year, to reconnect with your Jewish roots. You might just rekindle a spark within that changes your world for the better.

Rabbi Larry Sernovitz is the rabbi for Temple Kol Emeth.