Support for Israel Should Glow as Bright as Hanukkah Candles

by Rabbi Jerome Epstein

Each year as we light the Hanukkah candles, we pause to reflect on personal and world events that could only benefit by having more light shed on them. This year, the holiday takes on even more immediacy, leaving us less time to think about personal concerns and forcing us to confront the reality of an Israel that must still struggle for her very existence. If once again a miracle is needed, as it seems to be, then that miracle centers less on scoring a victory than on achieving peace.

If modern times do not require us to "stretch" a flask of oil, then they call upon us to renew and to expand our support for the State of Israel. Fortunately, just as we light hanukkiyot of all kinds and of all shapes and sizes, we may also express our support in numerous ways. Vigilance in reading media reports and working to set the record straight when facts are distorted; expressing words of comfort and concern; providing financial assistance to Israeli institutions adversely affected by the continuing conflict; visiting Israel as we would a relative in distress -- all are ways we can help bring about a modern-day miracle.

We learned an important lesson from the Maccabees. It falls to committed and brave leaders to defend a people and to help them achieve their goals. It is time once again for Jewish leaders to take the lead. The general apathy of the Diaspora community towards Israel is overwhelming. Although emotional ties certainly exist, there is often a reluctance to translate feelings into behavior. It falls to our leaders to set forth a vision and direction, inspiring us to do that which is difficult -- but right.

Israel faces a major challenge. It is for the leaders of that nation to decide how best to deal with the raw emotional and political hatreds that have surfaced on all sides. It is not for us to determine the specific action Israel must take. It is for us to support the decisions of the Israeli government and to do so publicly. Just as we display our hanukkiyot in front of a window in order to proclaim the miracle, so too must we openly display our support for the efforts of the Israeli government as it strives to protect its citizens and secure their future.