The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins Saturday evening. For eight nights we light candles and thank God for “the miracle He performed for us.” Tradition understands that miracle as one miniscule cruse of oil burning brightly for eight consecutive nights. The burning oil rededicated the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, which had been conquered and defiled…

In a few days we begin the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Hanukkah celebrates an ancient miracle.With their way of life under attack, a small group of Jews challenged their oppressors. They survived and rededicate the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. As we light the Hanukkah candles for eight nights, we express gratitude for their victory and…

A few years ago a popular bump sticker urged us to practice “random acts of kindness and senseless acts of love.” It’s a nice sentiment. In Judaism, however, acts of kindness are not random and acts of love are not senseless. They are commandments from God. They are part of the moral structure of the…

As tension rises once again in Israel, I share with you a most powerful story. It is told by Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. A Tour Guide It begins with Wiesel describing a visit he made in to Saragossa, Spain. Saragossa was a center of Jewish life around the year 1000 C.E. When…

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