Jacinda Adern, PM of NZ

The subject came to mind once again as Jewish communities received Chanukah greetings from politicians in particular. No doubt many of these individuals are genuine friends and their felicitations written after some research or input from Jewish advisors contain some elements of reality. Whether the deeper meaning of the religious occasion is understood is an entirely different matter.

Holiday foods and family gatherings notwithstanding the two main themes remain the lights of the Chanukiah and the historical message fundamental to our commemoration. Most messages made mention of the candles shedding their light and how this light dispels darkness. A few discerning individuals noted the resurrection once again of hatred against Jews although a significant number ignored this increasing phenomenon. The crux of the Chanukah story was of course the xenophobic hatred of Jews and Judaism by the Seleucid Greeks of the day.

This leads to the real lesson totally ignored by many who are either genuinely ignorant of the subject or deliberately avoid it because it is definitely not politically correct these days.

We celebrate at this time the victory of the Maccabees who restored Jewish sovereignty in Judea, reunited the Capital Jerusalem under Jewish control again and rededicated the Temple after it had been defiled by the previous pagan occupiers. Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (donuts) may be the centre of attention for many but it is the eternal Jewish experience of the few and powerless against the many and powerful which should resonate. The fact that in many cases the restoration of Jewish sovereignty is not mentioned speaks volumes about the situation we currently face.

Interestingly most political leaders who post greetings prefer to ignore the obvious because it raises too many awkward questions. How many conveyors of Chanukah greetings have stopped to think through the implications of their messages? How many who wax lyrical about the holiday realize the hypocrisy that accompanies it?

By not recognizing Israel’s modern day restoration of sovereignty in Jerusalem they make a mockery of their pontifications. While we celebrate Jerusalem’s central place during this Festival of Freedom the rest of the world, except the USA, denies that the Jewish State has any right to claim it as its Capital. Moreover the United Nations negates the unique Jewish connection to the city.

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