On the first night of Chanukah this year we asked the children in my daughter's house, and then the elders, what's one thing you can do to be like the first Chanukah candle and bring more light into the world? The first child said, bring more happiness to people. Another said, be kind. The elders said, reach out to one friend each day with whom you haven't connected for a while. Make a donation to something important every day. Cook and welcome people into your home.
For eight nights we rekindle the first flame, embracing hope, possibility and summud, perseverance. Each night we add a candle to bring in a bit more light by rededicating ourselves to what we value. Chanukah, from the Hebrew word chanuch, means re-dedication.
Over time, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains, "Chanukah [evolved from a celebration of militarism and] became the festival of a spiritual and civilisational one." What do we choose to illuminate? What do we want more of in the world? In ourselves and in our relationships? And can we find the spark of light everywhere by looking deeply into the interconnectedness of all life, of all phenomena?
As taught by the 19th century Polish Hasidic rabbi, the Svat Emet:
The miracle of Chanukah was in the light, that one could find the illumination hidden in the darkness and the exile. (Tr. R. Erin Smolker), Sefat Emet Hanukkah, 1871
In the Jewish spiritual tradition, the miraculous light of Chanukah represents consciousness. Chanukah is about elevating our consciousness, our awareness, our deep seeing into the essence of life. How we elevate our individual and collective consciousness from violence and hatred to inclusivity and healing.
Seeing the oneness at the heart of it all and, yes, the hidden spark of goodness that is always there. When goodness is hard to see, it's because something has occurred that sent it into exile. Often we ourselves don't see light because we are in exile. Our higher consciousness exists for the purpose of rekindling, rehabilitating, rededicating, the goodness and our capacity to see it.
We had a taste of this vision last week in New York City at the panel discussion on alternatives to incarceration hosted by the Social Justice Committee of Romemu Congregation. Speaker Jon-Adrian Velazquez, now an advocate and educator, was imprisoned in New York for 23 years, 7 months and 8 days for a crime he didn't commit.*
Mr. Velazquez' insights about trauma and how traumatized systems block "rehabilitation", harken to the meaning of the word Chanukah, rededication (44:13 minutes into this recording):
In this stirring and informative recording we hear from the speakers the actual horrors here in the midst of our own community. And we hear and see from their inspiring work and journeys the possible way to a different reality. Chanukah offers an eight day householder practice to integrate the actual and the possible. We add a candle each day to hold fast to the possibility of full illumination and wholeness.
May our Chanukah rituals support this rededication.
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For more of Jon-Adrian Velazquez' story:
Beautiful words Roberta. Very moving. Thank you.
dear roberta. your chanukah words are powerful, true and beautiful teaching.
thank you
the talk given by Jon-Adrian Velazquez was most touching and wise and filled with the light of dedication. i think marshall rosenberg would love this man.
if i were at the beginning rather than the end of my professional life, i would surely
be dedicating myself to the world of restorative justice.
thank you for your dedication.
Dear Roberta,
I’m glad I’m in this mailing list. I enjoyed this offering from you, especially since I read it after speaking briefly with your grandson and you in zoom, after last Romemu Shabbat service! Thank you for opening my eyes to learn more about Chanukah.