Katie Gaffin's Chanukah Message for 2024

I grew up in Orlando, so there’s usually a Disney something-or-other stuck in my head. Right now, it’s the song from “Carousel of Progress,” the Magic Kingdom ride where guests “Travel through the 20th century and marvel at the evolution of technology during this classic Audio-Animatronics show” (Disney’s words, not mine.) Admittedly, I don’t even really like this ride; it was just what we went on if it was raining or if the lines for everything else were too long. But, as we are celebrating 100 years and more of celebrating Chanukah, the “classic Audio-Animatronics show” celebrating over 100 years of technology and progress is what comes to mind, specifically the lyric “There’s a great big, beautiful tomorrow/Just a dream away.”

I cannot emphasize enough how much I hated this cheesy song as a child, but now that I’m an adult there’s a begrudging appreciation for its meaning. It’s about hope, plain and simple. The enduring need to believe that things can and will get better, no matter the current circumstances. I think that message is something we all need from time to time, to remember that even in darkness “There’s a great big, beautiful tomorrow/Just a dream away.” But I still stand by that it’s a really cheesy song.

Katie Gaffin is the Events and Public Relations Coordinator for Atlanta Jewish Times.