A Hannukah message from the refuseniks, shared by their parents. Happy Hannukah to all my Jewish readers.
Hannukah Candles in the Dark
Since the five occupation resisters found guilty as charged last Tuesday, are up for sentencing next Tuesday, December 23, 2003 and that happens to be the fourth day of Hannukah, we thought it proper to repost the enclosed letter sent out a month back. Please feel free to pass it on to your friends, in the holiday spirit.
To the kids, parents and teachers at the Oak Park Jewish Secular School School:
Dear everybody,
You invited us as ushpizin to your sukkah, and of course we couldn’t come. But we were there in spirit, as prisoners of conscience are in every place where they are thought of. As non-religious Jews who revile the way tradition is being used nowadays to fan fear and hatred, we enjoyed very much being invited to your sukkah, where no banners of military units hang; a sukkah which is a place of education for peace and justice.
As you all know, the next holiday on the Jewish calendar is Hannukah. By then we may be in prison, sentenced to long months for refusing to join the army of occupation. Those who celebrate Hannukah in the mainstream Zionist fashion might find this appropriate, as we are “deserters” of whom Judah the Maccabee would be ashamed.
But this is not the only way to see Hannukah. We can celebrate it as the festival of light, akin to others around the world, where the small candles that shine faintly on the longest nights of the year symbolize hope and freedom, which never die, even if they seem dwarfed by the darkness.
In a more provincial fashion we may celebrate Hannukah as a reminder of a nation rebelling against foreign tyranny. This happened to the ancient Israelites three times, and we celebrate three holidays: Passover to commemorate liberation from the Egyptians, Lag Ba’Omer to mark the revolt against the Romans, and Hannukah to celebrate delivery from the Greco-Syrians.
Today Israel does not suffer from foreign oppression, unless you count the not-so-innocent “friendship” of the United States. Instead we are ourselves oppressing the Palestinian people, violating the maxim “you shall not oppress the foreigner for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt”. Our Hannukah candles will remind us that in the dark night of oppression there are people who stand out like stars in the midwinter night; like the Egyptian nursemaids who saved baby Moses; like the Europeans who sheltered Jews from the Nazis; like those Jews everywhere today who are not afraid to criticize Israeli policy and work for a just peace and an end to the occupation.
Thank you for being there for us.
With love and appreciation,
Noam Bahat, Matan Kaminer, Adam Maor
“Open Detention”, Tel Hashomer, Israel
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