A Chanukah Message From Chuck Berk
As Jews, we are fortunate that our holidays help us reflect on our values, and remind us of our identity as a people and our responsibilities to our families and fellow men.
Chuck Berk is a local chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, which co-sponsored one of the Republican debates before the April 18 election.
As Jews, we are fortunate that our holidays help us reflect on our values, and remind us of our identity as a people and our responsibilities to our families and fellow men. The word Hanukkah, in Hebrew, means rededication, and this is a perfect time for us to step back, especially in these contentious political times, and think about rededicating ourselves to higher aspirations.
We are faced every day with the perception that there is an erosion of time-honored values that are the foundation of a decent society. The flickering candles of Hanukkah remind us, as Jews, that we have an obligation to be a light unto the world. The illumination begins at home, by stressing the teachings, or “light,” of the Torah and doing mitzvahs, but we also have a duty to bring light to others who may walk in darkness.
Many years ago, when Bonnie and I were living in New Jersey, our congregation distributed a Hanukkah brochure entitled “A Festival of Jewish Values.” It suggested discussing a different value each night and included a prayer for each: freedom, family, study of Torah, hope, charity, peace, brotherhood and faith. Our kids participated, sometimes under duress. But what’s interesting, now as adults with families, they pull out a copy of the brochure and do the same with their kids.
Bonnie and I still have our Hanukkah brochure and when lighting our candles, we rededicate ourselves to the spirit of Hanukkah and those foundational values, which have not changed in our 50 years of marriage.
Chuck Berk is co-chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, a member of the Georgia Holocaust Commission and former Southeast chairman of Israel Bonds.
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