CHANUKAH, ANTI-SEMITISM, ETC., ETC.

Tonight is the 8th and last night of Chanukah. I lit my candles. Meanwhile, at a Chanukah party in Monsey, NY, five people were stabbed in the rabbi's house. Anti- semitic attacks have escalated to a scale I have never seen in my life in this country. It is really scary and horrifying. Tree of Life synagogue, kosher market in Jersey City.

It's on a global scale. Protestors are in the streets all over the world too fighting for Democracy, Hong Kong, etc. I predict we will see that here too, very soon. In times of such economic inequity the anti-Semites come out. We have a president who is stoking the flames. We are living in dangerous times with no leadership, no statesmen (statespeople ?) The best leader we have now is Nancy Pelosi. The female lawmakers are speaking up louder than the men. I have hope in young people. We need their idealism and strength, i.e. Greta Thunberg. I seriously admire her. She is angry about climate change and has no problem yelling at world leaders about their absolute inertia regarding doing anything about it. Go Greta !

As I am pushing 70, I have the long view. History or progress is not linear. Rather it's cyclical. It

swings to the right, the center, to the left. In the 60's and early 70's, young people protested in the streets, on college campuses and effected Change. We got womens' rights, civil rights, black rights, etc. Now it's swung the other way. I watched almost every Representative cast their vote, yea or no to Impeach the president. The Democrats are white, black, brown, beige, Asian, Hispanic and Indian American. The Republicans are almost ALL WHITE MEN. They don't want anybody else to have any rights, they don't want women to have control over our own bodies, they are against pro-choice, it's so repugnant. We will see thousands of women and people of all genders in the streets in America very soon.

Chanukah celebrates religious freedom, a victory over the desecration of the Temple by the Syrian
Greek kings led by the rebel band of Maccabbees, guerilla fighters of their day. It didn't last long but we are still talking about it. We are reliving it too. Assimilation was rampant in those times. Israelites went to the gymnasiums too and adopted Greek customs. Fast forward to America, same thing. I once commented to Roby that in my research on synagogue architecture I learned a lot of jewish history I didn't know before. I did not know we were thrown out of so many countries. And I said to Roby, "it seems the only time the jews unite is if they have a common enemy, otherwise we are constantly bickering, arguing and debating amongst ourselves." He said that was a good insight and agreed with me.

I got some nice Chanukah gifts. Dorothy gave me a 'smart wool' neck warmer and a subscription to Lion's Roar, a Buddhist magazine. Laurie gave me a great pair of chanukah socks !

Happy holidays to everyone. I've watched a lot of Star Wars movies lately, The Force Awakens, Rise of the Jedi..... May the Force Be With You......

ADDENDUM

The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish rebellion, lasting from 167 to 160 BCE, led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and the Hellenistic influence on Jewish life. Wikipedia

The Temple of Solomon was destroyed by the Romans c. 70 A.D./A.C.E.