As the sun sets on Wednesday night December 25, the 8-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah will commence, bringing with it a bittersweet message that echoes across more than two millennia of history. As the sky darkens, one candle will be lit in millions of homes around the world, marking the first night of the holiday. It will be followed by two candles on Thursday night, three on Friday night, and onward until reaching eight candles on the final night.
The story of Hanukkah celebrates the remarkable and unlikely military victory of a small band of Judeans who faced down a mighty Syrian-Greek empire that was bent on forcibly imposing their religion and culture on them. This small group - led by Mathasias and his five sons, the most famous of whom was Judah the Maccabee - fought for their religious freedom, and after a series of stunning and miraculous battles over the course of three years, succeeded in retaking the Temple in Jerusalem and rededicating it to the service of G-d.
What most people don’t realize, however, is that just a few short years afterwards the Judeans again lost the Temple and Jerusalem, and 4 out of 5 of those brothers - including Judah - fell in battle. It took many more years for full freedom and sovereignty to be achieved.
Perhaps a lesson of the holiday is to learn to find causes for celebration even amidst challenges and darkness, and to recognize the goodness of G-d even if the entire sky isn’t yet full of light.
Speaking of light, one such ray of light for the Jewish people in recent years has been Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. She symbolically joined Jewish attendees at CPAC this year to light Shabbat candles, and spoke about what motivated her to take the lead in fighting antisemitism in America’s elite colleges and universities. President Trump should be applauded for nominating her to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations, a place of great darkness where the congresswoman will serve as a beacon of light.
With her relentless moral clarity, she has tweeted out almost daily about the hostages still held in Hamas captivity. Even as we approach a mind-boggling 450 days of captivity, the congresswoman insists that we not resign ourselves to this evil, but shine a light on it so that we can do everything in our power to bring home these precious individuals, including 7 Americans.
The Congresswoman isn’t alone; the incoming administration is already being staffed by many people who are part of the CPAC family, who embody common sense, a passion of truth and justice, and a willingness to call out evil and fight for what is good in the world.
During this holiday season, as we enjoy the shimmering lights that seem to be all around us, let us take a moment to contemplate what more we can be doing to bring the light of human dignity to those in our surroundings, and to offer a prayer for those who are in places of darkness, wherever they may be in the world. And let us pray and work for bright days ahead.
