By Gady Levy
Executive Director, The Streicker Centers
כָּל אֶחָד הוּא אוֹר קָטָן
וְכֻלָנוּ אוֹר אֵיתָן
Each of us is one small light,
All together, we shine bright.
On Chanukah as we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over the army of the Syrian-Greek king, Antiochus, who tried to eradicate the religious rights of the Jewish community. The Maccabees rededicated the Temple and immediately lit the menorah to cast a bright and miraculous light for all to see.
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens evoked this same sentiment during a recent discussion at The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson. Answering a question about how we should respond to the rising anti-Semitism around us and across the globe, Bret said, “Get 10 percent more Jewie. Wherever you are, add 10 percent…It doesn’t simply have to be in religious observance. It can be in knowledgeability. It can be in the choice of a vacation… It can be in what interests you… Deepen your own commitment as a Jew to your own Jewish self and your Jewish community, or maybe your Jewish community first.”
So this Chanukah, we invite you to join us on your journey to becoming 10 percent more “Jewie” by joining the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Centers for more events, more movies, discussions, concerts, meals, classes and celebrations.
By adding your light to our community, we flood the darkness of hatred and bigotry with a communal light that shine brightly, a symbol to our ourselves and to the world that Am Yisrael Chai!
