Being a Real Hero


In a few days we will begin the celebration of Hanukah. I know it is hard to believe- seems like it was just Rosh HaShannah! But this is a very unusual year of the Jewish calendar playing “catch up” with the solar calendar so here we are- Hanukkah and Thanksgiving falling together so close. Maybe that is a good thing- we can concentrate on Hanukkah without all the distractions of Christmas (although we will have to compete with Black Friday!)
Although Hanukkah is a minor festival we have made it into a major event. I only hope that we make the lessons of Hanukah just as major in our lives. Hanukkah is uniquely a Jewish celebration but one that contains lessons that all people can understand. The “underdog” who has no chance of victory emerges from a long struggle to defeat a powerful enemy: the oppressed minority that struggles for its identity and its very existence, and the unimaginable bravery of a few individuals who stood up to the voice of tyranny. I think that just as the story of the Exodus has inspired people of all faiths through the ages, the story of Hanukah can also inspire people- all we have to do is share the story.
Luckily we do not have to physically struggle to insure our existence as Jews. Thank God we live in a time in which we are free to celebrate our heritage. There is another struggle, however, that we do need to engage in- the struggle to be proud of who we are. We live in a time in which it is not always popular or “politically correct” to celebrate who you are or what your heritage is. We hear voices that call for unity and uniformity. To me that means that if our society becomes a meaningless pot of homogeneity our social, economic, and political problems will somehow disappear. Sometimes I think such “appreciation” of diversity is a ploy- it tends to equate every tradition with every other. We lose any reason to preserve our identities- one group is the same as another so why be proud of your unique tradition.
I want to be a part of a group that is identifiably different- I want to be a part of a people that has stood the test of time. I want to be Jewish. I know full well that we, as a people, have incorporated the best of every culture in which we have participated. I also know that such “gifts” that have come to us in our travels through history have never come at the price of abandoning our own identity.
In the ancient world the Jews knew they were different than the Romans or the Greeks. Like today, our ancestors were but a small minority in a vast cultural expanse but they also took pride in being who they were. Today we are a small minority in a world that, at times, says “don’t be different.” Looking at history we should be sure that it is only our difference, our uniqueness, and our sense of peoplehood that allowed us to become the “eternal people.”
Being a hero at Hanukah does not call for armed battle as it did in the days of the Maccabees. Being a hero today can be a small thing- something that may not even show on the outside. Being a Jewish hero today may be as easy as being proud to be a Jew, being proud of the amazing history of our people, and proud that we can be part of a much bigger world without surrendering our identity.
This Hanukah I hope you find some small steps to become a hero- share the Hanukah story with non-Jewish friends. Maybe you can explain why Jews don’t celebrate Christmas but we do celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe you can just look in the mirror and be proud to be a part of the great miracle of Jewish Existence.