Hanukkah, the holiday that most clearly celebrates the Jewish nation’s ongoing historical victory against the forces of assimilation, has become, in our day, the most assimilated Jewish festival.
Hanukkah-Christmas clubs, seasonal parties, public religious displays and more all conspire to create, in the minds of many, an equality between two vastly different religious events. In many households, Hanukkah becomes a “Jewish Christmas” as, throughout the community, the spirit of the “Judeo-Christian ethic” fills the air. Theological harmony is assumed where no such harmony exists.
Monumental chasms separate Jewish philosophy from Christian philosophy. We disagree on such basic issues as the concept of sanctity and its relationship to the physical world, the ability of man to interface with God directly, the notion of original sin, and more. If we fail to recognize and be sensitive to these differences, if we fail to teach our children about these differences, then we run the real risk of assimilating, God forbid, into a culture not our own.
The image of our forefather Yaakov [Jacob] struggling through the darkness of night with the “angel of Esav [Esau]” is presented to us each year at the time of the year when that image is most necessary. If we are to survive as a people, we cannot allow artificial harmony to blind us. We must certainly strive for respectful, harmonious coexistence and cooperation with our non-Jewish neighbors, we should certainly acknowledge and appreciate the specific values and goals that we share, but not at the expense of losing our uniqueness.
How do you react to this passage? Has Hanukkah lost its distinct meaning due to its proximity to Christmas? Have we allowed our desire for harmony to go too far? Do we make too much of Hanukkah as a result? What should we do, as a community, and as individuals?
Your comments are welcome.
