Hanukkah is fast upon us. According to polls taken over the years, Hanukkah is American Jewry’s most observed Holy Day or Holiday.
There are those who would argue that Hanukkah’s popularity is directly connected with the season. It is the Jewish answer to Christmas. In fact I once heard a “Rabbi” make the absurd claim that our Sages invented Hanukkah to combat Christmas! Obviously unfamiliar with Jewish history, he was not aware of the fact that the Hanukkah epic takes place almost two hundred years prior to the birth of the Nazarene. Its only real connection with Christmas is - were the Hasmoneans not to have mounted their revolt with its resultant victory, the Jewish People would have been completed swallowed up by Hellenism. By the time the Nazarene was born, the Jews would no longer have practiced Judaism. Christianity could never have evolved without its Jewish base.
May I suggest that there may be another explanation as to why Hanukkah enjoys such a unique place in contemporary Jewish life. Its very story, the heroic few courageously standing up against a powerful enemy and sadly many of their fellow Jews as well for a cause they deeply believed, taking on their holy mission against all odds, enduring the agony of a protracted war and finally claiming the prize of victory, resonates with a People who too often see their history as one of resignation to suffering, humiliation and defeat.
Hanukkah is as well the favorite holiday of Agudas Achim. We too have battled the odds and are slowly moving closer to that day when we will rededicate our own Bais HaMikdash M’at, our own mini-Temple, to the glory of G-d and our People.
In this edition of our newsletter you will read about the great strides forward we have made in realizing our goal of restoring our magnificent Sanctuary and building a community center adjacent to our main building. I can clearly hear Matthias’ clarion call to our People emanating from our collective past, “Whoever is for the L-rd follow me!” as he prepared to do battle against the Hellenic Syrian Mesopotamian empire and its mad King, Antiochus.
Our Congregation, in the tradition of Matthias calls out to all who are reading our newsletter, “Whoever believes in the future of our Jewish People, whoever believes we must provide every possible program to nurture the growth of a committed Jewry, follow me!” For with the completion of our restoration and our community center we will have an inspiring Synagogue coupled with facilities for Day Care, a Day School, a Mkveh, a work out facility, a major auditorium equipped to handle programs and all our celebrations literally topped off with a unique roof garden. Truly a dream come true for any Synagogue, Agudas Achim will be armed with a facility able to enhance our Jewish experience on every level, rekindling the menorah of Jewish pride and commitment found in the soul of each of us.
Now more than ever I ask you to join our band of stalwart workers. Let us all get behind our new officers, giving them the support they need to achieve our goals of rededicating Agudas Achim to the noble work of replenishing the soul and body of our People.
I extend my personal Mazel Tov and blessings for success to our new President, Moshe Cohen and his fellow officers. If these past few months are an indication of what Mosh can accomplish on behalf of Agudas Achim, we can expect our Congregation to blossom as never before under his dynamic leadership.
Happy Hanukkah!
Rabbi Philip Lefkowitz