Friday, December 03, 2010

Chanukah, The Assimilated Jews' Last Stand...

I may be wrong; it has been forty-five, yes, 45 years since I decided to live as a Torah Jew...

For many assimilated Jews, I think that celebrating Chanukah, even as a substitute for xmas, shows the last remnants of their Jewish observance.  It may be as minimal as buying a Chanukah present for the kids and not a xmas one.  That's even easier than buying a box of matzah and making some effort to hold a "seder" on Passover.

Over the years when various relatives married non-Jews, if a female relative married a non-Jew I'd buy them a present, a Chanukah Menorah.  Sometimes I got it for a Jewish couple, since it seemed like a nice Jewish gift from the relatives in Israel.  I don't know how many actually have used them.  I certainly don't ask.

But if I'm not mistaken, it's the one ritual item most people are familiar with.

Chag Urim Sameach
Have an Enlightened Holiday

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a really wonderful idea. Happy Chanukah!

Herbals said...

lol.
Go ahead and celebrate Chanukah...







Herbal

Batya said...

Frayda, as long as the children will be halachikly Jewish, it's really important to keep a connection.
Herbals, why not?