'After that, Jewish life began to blossom.'
Photo: CD Bank
Oklahoma Jews fight to preserve Hanukkah
Tulsa rabbi says Jews should be thankful for American freedom, but that Jews should be free to be Jews. ‘For Hanukkah to get lost in any other culture would be ironic and sad,’ says local Chabad emissary
Jews living in a dominantly Christian region of the United States work hard to keep Hanukkah separate from the culture of Christmas.
But, that may be a little tougher this year since Chanukah begins on Christmas Day - an occurrence that happens only once every 19 years.
`It's a valid concern,'' says Rabbi Yehuda Weg, of the Chabad House in Tulsa. ``The whole meaning of Hanukkah is about maintaining Jewish identity and not being assimilated.''
``For Hanukkah to get lost in any other culture would be ironic and sad,'' he said. ``To its credit, America is a very welcoming place for Jews, but that brings with it the very real concern that we could lose our identity. We're thankful for our freedom here, but we want to be free to be ourselves.''
Hanukkah is the celebration of an event that occurred 2,144 years ago, at a time Israel was occupied by ancient Greece and Jews were forced to abandon their way of life.
Many expressions of Jewish life were outlawed, including circumcision, observing Shabbat, and other Jewish holidays.
Jews were also forced to adopt the Greek culture, adopt Greek names, speak the Greek language and wear Greek clothing. Jewish life could have disappeared entirely were it not for the Macabees, a Jewish family that led a revolt that conquered the Greek/Syrians and liberated the Temple in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel.
"After that, Jewish life began to blossom,'' Weg said.
Weg said Hanukkah includes family observances and also communal events, and said his Chabad House would hold a dinner Wednesday evening at the Jewish Community Center, with the lighting of the menorah, music by Israeli students and prayer.
