A Chanukah Message From A.J. Robinson
Hannukah 2018 has a particular special meaning in the wake of the Pittsburgh tragedy, growing anti-Semitism around the world, and the frequent conflicts along the Gazan border.
Hannukah 2018 has a particular special meaning in the wake of the Pittsburgh tragedy, growing anti-Semitism around the world, and the frequent conflicts along the Gazan border. It seems like Jews cannot escape conflict and hatred in any part of the world. But the Hannukah story of rededication of the second Temple and the legendary miracle of the eight days of burning oil is a message of how “resilient” the Jewish people were in Biblical times and how we, too, need to be resilient in response to today’s challenges. Many Jewish holidays are much more about an internal Jewish experience or an individual, personal practice, but much like Pesach, the meaning of Hannukah should be shared with the world. Thus, the tradition of placing one’s hannukiah in a front window or in a visible place as if to say … “The Jewish people are here to stay, take heed of our message of religious freedom for all and our own resilience throughout the generations.”
A.J. Robinson is president of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. He is also a board member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.
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