Recognizing ‘mitzvahs’ new and old and Springfield’s history of shared holidays Opinion

Thank you, Springfield-Greene County Library and Springfield News Leader, for publishing the photo of the Lotven family lighting a menorah on Hanukkah . No history of the Springfield Jewish community would be complete without featuring the Lotven family. This 1978 photo was published to mark the confluence of the first night of Hanukkah with Christmas Day this year. The next time this rare phenomenon will occur will be 2035.

The article mentions that: “… members of the Springfield Jewish community were helping their Christian neighbors by volunteering to work for them at Cox Hospital.”

Jews of Springfield have always volunteered to work on Christmas. We have helped serve the homeless, volunteered at Mercy Hospital, served Meals on Wheels, visited nursing homes, driven our Christian fellows to services, etc., all on Christmas day. It is essential to our Jewish teaching to perform such good deeds, called “mitzvahs.”

Dad registered me as member of the Jewish Congregation of Springfield in 1943, the year I was born, making me the oldest living member of our congregation. This photo conjures up my memories of the Lotvens. Hyman (we called him Hymie) was assistant manager of Dad’s store, The Busy Bee, and the Lotvens were like a second family to me.

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