To say the least, this has been a difficult few days. At Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, a lone gunman burst in, killing 2 students and wounding nine before escaping; as I write this, he is still at large. Jewish worshipers who gathered on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah were attacked by two men with guns, who killed 15 and wounded 24. And beloved actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife were brutally murdered in their home, allegedly by their own son. (And to make matters worse, Pres. Trump issued a long social media post that mocked and insulted Reiner, and basically blamed his death on the fact that he was a liberal Democrat and not a Trump supporter. By the way, it's not lost on me that when Charlie Kirk was murdered, my Republican friends insisted that nobody say a bad thing about him. Yet few are condemning the vile and insensitive comment by the president about Reiner, one of the most popular guys in the entertainment biz.) My point is, it was a week of violence and rage, when innocent people died needlessly.
But it's Hanukkah, the festival of lights, and that's usually a reason for celebration. Of course, as I've said in previous years, I still find it somewhat problematic (although understandable, given the culture we're living in) to see Hanukkah, which used to be a minor festival that was mainly for the kids, suddenly getting elevated into something like Christmas-- with parties, lots of gifts, and elaborate decorations. Don't get me wrong-- I like Hanukkah. I've always found the lights of the menorah very beautiful, I'm always happy to eat potato latkes (and those big jelly donuts are good too!), and the holiday's story of how the Jews stood up for their freedom of worship is inspiring. Hanukkah reminds us that light (representing wisdom and tolerance) can overcome darkness (representing bigotry and hatred). I just hate to see it turned into yet another opportunity for endless consumerism. Anyway, as we do every year, my husband and I lit our menorah (placed by the window so that the candles can be seen from the street) and said our prayers. But once again, we had to keep in mind that in so many places, antisemitism is on the rise; and while we were safe and able to observe our holiday, in some places, people are not as fortunate.
And there's something else on my mind: As I write this, tomorrow I will be 11 years cancer-free. Each year, I marvel at the fact that I'm one of the survivors. I shouldn't be, given all the women on my mother's side of the family (including my mother and grandmother) who did not survive. Yet, somehow, I did. And when I think about that, I am profoundly grateful for the doctors who saved my life, and for the advances in medical science that made my survival possible. And even on my worst day (and I've had a few), I'm grateful to be alive. I only wish we lived in a time when kindness was the dominant emotion. Sad to say, as events around the world keep showing, hatred and cruelty are all around us. But if I'm being honest, I have to admit that there are still some compassionate and caring people. There are still some people who choose love over hate.
I try to be one of them, but it's not always easy. There are times when current events are so depressing that I find myself wondering if things will ever get better. But then, I remind myself that I must be alive for a reason: if I want to do my part to bring about some positive change, getting discouraged isn't useful. As a Jew, I'm motivated by the commandment about doing a mitzvah, about repairing the world. And so, here I am, still alive and still eager to make a difference. And my invitation to you in this holiday season, whatever you believe, is to shine your light wherever you can. Reject the negativity and reject the cruelty that is far too common. Make a promise to be kind, to reach out to those in need, and above all, to refuse to give in to despair. That may not seem like much, in the face of all the problems we have, but it's a start. And it's important. After all, we can always use more kindness in this world, and we can always use more joy. I wish you a happy and joyful holiday! 💕
