Chanukah Message From Jan Jaben-Eilon

Light is a metaphor for both life and death. Obviously, Chanukah candles offer illumination and cheeriness. Light, however, is also seen in yahrzeit candles and the bright white light that reportedly beckons those in near-death experiences.

But Chanukah represents more than light from the candles that represent it. The holiday also embodies hope. Right now, so many of us need a dosage – or eight – of hope. So many of us feel like we’ve entered a dark time that reminds us of historical moments that we don’t want our people – or any people – to repeat. Never again.

But we can’t give in to those dreaded feelings that drag us down and make us feel helpless and hopeless, those feelings that drain all energy for anything positive. For every disaster that has befallen us, we have rebounded. And maybe, just maybe, we have learned from those tragedies to hold on to our hope. Because if we do, perhaps we will have the energy and the will to ensure that those calamities that we so fear can be avoided altogether. So, Chanukah 2018, to me, means holding on to our hope.

Jan Jaben-Eilon is a long-time journalist with both Israeli and U.S. citizenship.