A Chanukah Message From Rachel Wasserman
In dark days, it is often difficult to remember that each of us has the ability to bring light into this world.
Chanukah has always had special meaning for me because it often falls over my birthday. In fact, my bat mitzvah was Shabbos Chanukah! The most meaningful part of Chanukah for me is also the topic of my bat mitzvah speech, which I tearfully delivered on Dec. 11, 1993. In the haftarah of Shabbos Chanukah, we read: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” This reminds us, of course, of the Maccabees, who defeated the Greek army despite the fact that the odds were against them.
In my bat mitzvah speech, I talked about an incident that had happened a year earlier, when I led a small group of students to stand up to a racist ballroom dancing school in Lexington, Ky., where I grew up. Ultimately, this small group of students turned into a bigger group of parents, which turned into an even bigger group of community members, who connected to anti-hate organizations and made real change happen in our own backyards.
In dark days, it is often difficult to remember that each of us has the ability to bring light into this world. Whether it’s you acting alone or with a small group beside you, it does not take a mighty army to make positive changes that benefit all of us. This Chanukah, I hope we can all bring a little extra light into our lives, not only through the lighting of the menorah, but also through acts of loving-kindness, acceptance and peace.
Rachel Wasserman is executive director of the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta.
comments