Reader's letter

Chanukah, the eight-day festival that this year begins on the evening of December 25, celebrates a military victory of the Jewish people that occurred in the Land of Israel almost 2.200 years ago. Although the main commandment of Chanukah be the lighting of the Chanukiah – the eight-branched candelabra – many associate the festival only with the miracle of the oil, when a quantity sufficient for just one day kept the candelabra lit Menorah of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem for eight days. However, the real purpose of the miracle of the oil was to signal that it was God who secured the victory of the Jews over the powerful Syrian-Greek forces occupying the Land of Israel.

Although the Jewish victory in the war was miraculous, it was long and arduous. The Maccabees, who led the resistance against the Syrian-Greeks, were vastly outnumbered and outnumbered. But armed with their courage and unshakable faith in God, they faced their enemies. The Jewish uprising was a response to the severe oppression imposed by the Syrian-Greeks, who sought to eradicate the national and religious identity of the People of Israel.

the war of Chanukah was not motivated by a territorial dispute, but by the determination of the Syrian-Greeks to eradicate Jewish identity from the Land of Israel. Similarly, the war that Israel has been fighting for more than a year, which began on October 7, 2023, is not focused on territorial disputes. Its true objective is to destroy the Jewish State.

Like its Maccabee forebears, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) faces adversaries far more numerous and occupying territories far larger than Israel. Despite the hardships, wars and terrorist campaigns that have marked the Jewish state since its founding, Israel has demonstrated unwavering resilience. After the massacre of October 7 – the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust – Israel, beset by threats from all sides, responded with extraordinary determination.

Not since the War of Independence has Israel faced such a decisive struggle for its survival. Furthermore, it finds itself compelled to defend its right to exist as a Jewish state. For those who deny or question Israel’s right to exist, it is crucial to emphasize that the Jewish state is not just a place where Jews can live according to their religion and ancient traditions. Israel also represents a safeguard against the suffering that Jews have endured for nearly two millennia, culminating in the Holocaust. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz – the Nazi death camp where 1,1 million people were murdered, approximately 90 percent of whom were Jews. Auschwitz, a symbol of the Holocaust, will continue to be an unmistakable reminder of the need for a secure and sovereign Jewish homeland. Thus, to mourn the Holocaust while denying Israel’s right to exist or to use its military force to protect its citizens is an alarming contradiction, revealing grave historical ignorance and, often, veiled anti-Semitism.

Israel’s military response to the October 7 attack, in which Jews – men, women, children and the elderly – were brutally attacked and murdered in acts of inhumane savagery, constitutes the fulfillment of the solemn promise that the State of Israel made to the Jewish people at its founding: “Never Again.” This phrase is not just a slogan – it is an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Jews will never again be left defenseless in the face of threats to their security.

The goal of Israel’s current war goes beyond neutralizing the immediate threat posed by those responsible for the October 7 massacre and rescuing hostages held by terrorists. It is about defending the very existence of the Jewish state and protecting our people around the world from those who are determined to destroy them. It is a fight to ensure that Israel remains a place where every Jew can live freely and safely.

The central theme of Chanukah, one of the most joyful festivals in the Jewish calendar, is the celebration of miracles. On the feast of Chanukah this year, as we light the Chanukiah and as we recite the blessings in thanksgiving to G-d for the miracles that ensured the victory of the Maccabees, let us pray that Israel will triumph in this war.

As lights of Chanukah symbolize our unshakable confidence that G-d will stand by the valiant soldiers of the Jewish State, ensuring that the return of the People of Israel to the Land of Israel will be eternal.

Hanukkah Sameach!