CHANUKAH
This Hanuka we need the light now more than ever!
Hanuka begins tonight, Thursday evening, 7 December exactly two months after that horrific Saturday that shattered so many lives and changed Israel forever.
On Hanuka we celebrate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the triumph of the Maccabees in reclaiming the Temple after it was desecrated by our enemy. Today, Israel now more than ever faces enemies that seek her destruction and obliteration.
As we commemorate the miracle of light where one vial of oil miraculously burnt brightly for eight days, we recognise that this Hanuka is different from all other Hanukas. This Hanuka, We Are Not Okay, and above all, our women and children are not “okay” after everything they have endured.
World WIZO has launched a Hanuka Campaign connected to the I Am Not OK campaign. This campaign provides mental health support to help survivors regain their wellbeing after experiencing all these traumatic events. The campaign is aimed at brightening the days of our children and their families and all funds, or should we say Hanuka geld, donated shall be used to purchase toys, clothing, books and baby supplies to make our children smile.
The children who will benefit from this Hanuka campaign are in our day care centres, youth villages, emergency and welfare centres. Some of them are the children of WIZO employees from Sderot who have been displaced and some are the children of WIZO employees who have been called for IDF duty. These are the children of WIZO, the children of Israel and we need to bring light into their lives to push back their darkness which has grown exponentially: and remember that it is a mitzvah to donate for this.
We pray that WIZO’s mitzvot will light up Israel and break the cycle of negativity. We pray that the world will open their eyes to these evil atrocities. Hanukah has shown us that it is possible to change something dark and evil into spreading light. That is why it is essential, now more than ever, that we allow the message and the light and miracles of Hanukah to penetrate our hearts and minds.
This embodies the vision of WIZO as we work together to create a brighter future for the women and children across Israel who have endured and survived the darkest of days.
As you light your menorahs and place them in the windowsill, let’s celebrate our Jewishness. Let us be like the Shamash, the centre candle, that sits higher than all other candles and hold our heads up high! Let’s stand tall and stand strong, even when it feels that all around us is falling apart.
Each candle we light, affirms our history and is a declaration of hope for our future. The enemies we are facing today and the battles that lie before us will be tough and hard. This holiday reminds us about resilience, courage and bravery in the face of stark adversity. As we look at our candles shining brightly, let’s try to take comfort and renewed hope knowing that it only takes a small amount of light to dispel a great deal of darkness.
We ask you to help us by supporting our Hanuka campaign so that we can banish the darkness for our women, children and soldiers. Your generous donations will help spread joy and love! This, together with the strength, skill and determination of our soldiers, and the unity of all Israelis that stand behind them, will enable us, the Jewish people to prevail.
WIZO South Africa joins me in wishing you and your families a Chag Sameach. We hope and pray that you will bring forth the light with your Hanukah celebrations, candles, dreidels and latkes.
We are living in very emotional and worrying times and pray for the safe release of the remaining hostages. We also pray that we will experience miracles and victories in the coming days.
With Love and light.
Shelley Trope-Friedman
President WIZO South Africa