One holiday is ending, and another is beginning. Amid the glow of Christmas lights everywhere, are the Jewish people lighting their Menorahs.
This is only the fourth time since 1900 that Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day. So, Rabbi at Temple Emanuel, Javier Cattapan, shares why Hanukkah means so much to the members of the Jewish community in West Michigan.
“I think this has become a way for the Jewish community to have some kind of a celebration at the same time,” Rabbi Cattapan said.
The celebration, according to Rabbi Cattapan, is about bringing light into the world by living a Jewish lifestyle, “…which means that you would live a life of service to your community by improving the world and trying to leave it better than you found it.”
This is easier said than done, as violence takes no holiday. “The attacks on October 7, 2023 happened on a Jewish holiday, which is one of the most joyful Jewish holidays,” Rabbi Cattapan said. “It’s called Simchat Torah, which means the rejoicing of the Torah.”