Amein, I will not assimilate, nor will I allow strangers to define what my Judaism should be or how it could be better. I refuse to react to all the negative influences from the outside, because whoever allies themselves with the enemy in any way will end up like them. Hanukkah is also a profoundly political festival, one that speaks equally of the protection of Hashem and the bestowal of miracles upon us—the Jewish people. It is our pride in the traditions and values of Judaism and our willingness to learn and internalize them; it is our uninfluenced, unbroken faith in the G-d of Israel that gives us, then as now, the strength, insight, trust, and energy to rejoice in them and sometimes even to stand up for them with determination.
Because it is our life and our joy!
Words and Passion 