Letter: It s not all Greek to me concordmonitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from concordmonitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In a recent Parents magazine piece headlined, “How to Explain the Hanukkah Story to Kids,” we are informed that, “this year more than any other is a great opportunity to take extra time to teach your family about the Jewish holiday that celebrates the power of light and miracles.” Hanukkah, Parents goes on to explain, “means dedication in Hebrew, and the Jewish holiday, also known as The Festival of Lights, represents joy.”
Joy? This kind of insufferably vacuous, anesthetized, consumerist celebration that American Jews have concocted to compete with Christmas is stripped of any genuine theological or cultural meaning. It’s a shame because, from a historical and cultural perspective, Hanukkah might be Judaism’s most fascinating holiday. It’s a story about roiling political upheavals of the ancient world, nationalism, assimilation, civil war, religious zealotry, martyrdom, and corruption.
The True Meaning of Hanukkah | RealClearPolitics realclearpolitics.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from realclearpolitics.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In a recent Parents magazine piece headlined, âHow to Explain the Hanukkah Story to Kids,â we are informed that, âthis year more than any other is a great opportunity to take extra time to teach your family about the Jewish holiday that celebrates the power of light and miracles.â Hanukkah, Parents goes on to explain, âmeans dedication in Hebrew, and the Jewish holiday, also known as The Festival of Lights, represents joy.â
Joy? This kind of insufferably vacuous, anesthetized, consumerist celebration that American Jews have concocted to compete with Christmas is stripped of any genuine theological or cultural meaning. Itâs a shame because, from a historical and cultural perspective, Hanukkah might be Judaismâs most fascinating holiday. Itâs a story about roiling political upheavals of the ancient world, nationalism, assimilation, civil war, religious zealotry, martyrdom and corruption.