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Book Club: Second Session

The open tent, the figuring out how to welcome those whom others don’t welcome, is the essence of Judaism. To cease to be the oppressor.

Embracing the Stranger

Though Hannukah is a few weeks away, the second session of Book Club: Finding Sparkle in the Jewish Calendar took a moment to explore cultural questions brought up by the story of the Maccabees and the Hellenists. Abigail drew a connection between the conflict of the two groups and the difficulties of “embracing the other” in Jewish communities. As Judaism in the twenty-first century ranges from secular adaptation to strong holds on tradition, from Jews who celebrate Christmas to Jews who practice halakhah, we reflected on a new interpretation of the age-old story: “How often do we use Hanukkah as an opportunity to examine how we hold on to our values/principles and sit with others who are different?” 

Resources

“Why I Light My Menorah in the Window and Why You Should Too” Edmon J Rodman, JTA

 

 

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