s’’xc Shabbat Vayeishev of the West Side & Chabad Early Learning Center Chanukah Kislev 24-25, 5767 December 8-9, 2006 Candle Lighting: 4:11 PM Shabbat Ends: 5:15 PM Weekly Bulletin

V OLUME IFRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2006 24 KISLEV, 5767 ISSUE XIII Fight or Light? Controversy and Irony at Happy Chanukah! SeaTac Airport

Celebrate Chanukah with Chabad! More details inside

Friday Night, December 15, 5:30 PM Would Moses Recognize Judaism Today? Shabbaton @ Darna Restaurant

Sunday, December 17, 3 - 5 PM CHANUKAH SING ALONG Chabad of the West 60s, 101 WEA @ 64th St.

Monday, December 18, 4 - 5:30 PM CELC GRAND CHANUKAH CELEBRATION Public menorah lighting in downtown Seattle, circa 1985 @ Young Israel of the West Side, 210 W 91st St. I’m sure many of you have been Tuesday, December 19, 5 - 6:30 PM following the controversy around CHABAD ALUMNI & FRIENDS KIDS CLUB the Seattle Airport holiday dis- Giant Menorah Lighting & Chanukah Give-and-Get play. Here is an article by Yanki Chabad, 101 W 92nd St. Tauber, which I think sheds some light on the issue: Wednesday, December 20, 6 PM PUBLIC MENORAH LIGHTING AND CELEBRATION One thing I've come to realize is that many of us have an innate, Richard Tucker Sq., 66th & B’dwy enduring loyalty to our precon- Sponsored by Chabad of the West Sixties ceptions. We'll stick with them Every Weeknight of Chanukah, Dec. 17 - 21 through thick and thin, no matter MENORAH LIGHTING AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - 5 PM what reality sends our way. Sponsored by Chabad @ Columbia I first realized this some twenty MENORAH LIGHTING AT 66TH @ BROADWAY - 6 PM years ago when a friend and I, Sponsored by Chabad of the West Sixties as two young Chabad-Lubavitch continued on page 2

Chabad ELC ...... 5 101 WEST 92ND STREET Chabad Shul Section ...... 10 NEW YORK, NY 10025 212-864-5010 Torah Fax: Perish the Thought ...... 9 www.chabadwestside.org Inside: Upcoming Events ...... 3,4 [email protected] Happy Birthdays ...... 4 CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 2 Fight or Light? Continued from page 1 through it? There's a public menorah in Red Square. At the Eiffel Tower. Inside the Brandenburg Gate. And in rabbinical students, spent our summers canvassing the thousands of places throughout the United States and state of Montana looking for Jews. We'd drive from town to across the globe. Washington State's own governor is town--some of which only had one or two Jewish families-- proudly hosting a menorah lighting ceremony in the and try to do our bit to encourage Jewish identity and obser- capitol during Chanukah. vance. But the folks in charge at SeaTac didn't want a meno- We were quite a curiosity, and were often featured in the rah. After weeks of stonewalling, bureaucratic double- local newspaper. The publicity proved useful in both drawing speak and suddenly canceled meetings by Port brass, local Jews out of the woodwork and gaining us a welcome Rabbi Bogomilsky's lawyer warned of possible legal response when we called on people. action. The airport's now infamous response was to.... remove the Christmas trees, claiming that they wouldn't One thing irked me though about these newspaper stories. be able to handle the onslaught of religiously diverse After spending an hour lecturing the reporter on Jewish requests. identity and explaining about Shabbat, kosher, tefillin and mezuzah--what did s/he write about? About the "Two Continued on page 12 Hasidic Men Wearing Traditional Hasidic Black Hat and Long Black Coat" who've rolled into town. ADVERTISING RATES FOR THE CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN The black hat part was true. Below the neck, however, we wore ordinary business suits. In all fairness to the reporters, Size of Ads and Rates these do tend toward the darker end of the color spectrum. Full Page $1,000 (min 4 weeks @ $250 per week) Still, we weren't in town to promote traditional hasidic garb, Half Page $520 (min 4 weeks @ $130 per week) 1/4 Page $910 (min 13 weeks @ $70 per week) or and we'd have much preferred that the article focus on the $325 (min 4 weeks @ $81.25 per week) more substantive parts of our message. Bus. Card $325 (min 13 weeks @ $25 per week)

So one day we left our hats in the car. My partner wore a light grey suit to the interview, and I put on the most light- colored garment I owned--a light-tan plaid sports jacket.

Sure enough, the next day's paper ran a full-sized photo- graph of two hatless, light-jacketed young men posed in front of the newspaper building. One held a pair of tefillin, and the other a Shabbat candlestick. The caption under the photograph read: "Tauber, 21, and Begun, 22, two hasidic rabbis sporting the traditional black hat and long black coat, visit Montana on mission."

I was reminded again of how attached people can be to their preconceptions when seeing the news reports on the menorah controversy at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The irony is that Rabbi Bogomilsky and his colleagues are squarely on the very opposite side of the debate... First the facts: Seattle Port Authority consultant Mitchell Stein, along with Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, a Seattle-based Chabad- Lubavitch rabbi, wanted to erect a Chanukah menorah at SeaTac Airport. The airport already had 14 large Christmas trees set up in various places throughout their terminals.

SeaTac is a major international gateway; why not share the menorah's message with the tens of thousands who pass CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 3 Upcoming Events

Sunday, December 17th 3-5 PM Chanukah Tuesday, Sing Along December 19 Wednesday

with Children's Musical Sensation 5 - 6:30 pm December 20 Bobby Doowah! 6:00 PM CHABAD The Archstone "ALUMNI & FRIENDS" Public 101 West End Ave., at 64th St. 4th Floor Multi-Purpose Room KIDS CLUB MENORAH LIGHTING and Celebration Cover: $10 Per Person, Max $30 Per CHANUKAH PARTY! Family at Richard Tucker Square Hot ! Delicious Jelly Gift Wrapping* Doughnuts! Build a LEGO Outdoor Giant Menorah (66th Street and Broadway) Menorah! Face Painting! Lighting Celebration** Latkes & Sufganiot The Menorah will also be And much more! lit every weeknight of Chanukah at 6 PM. About Bobby Doowah Optional parent study Able to appeal to four-year-olds to session with Rabbi Meir Ossey Latkes, Doughnuts, forty-year-olds, Bobby Doowah repre- from 5:00 - 5:30 sents the next generation of children’s and musical entertainers. He “presents a Chanukah Gelt for zany medley of movement, dancing * We will be wrapping gifts for the the Children and musical entertainment,” wrote Chai Lifeline Toy Drive. While The New York Daily News, and there will be enough gifts for “charms kids and parents alike.” everyone to wrap, you are wel- JOIN IN A Bobby’s shows meet children on their come to bring your own. CELEBRATION OF level, without cutesy condescension. He is a “musical entertainer extraordi- JEWISH UNITY naire,” wrote Big Apple Parents ** We will be spending some time AND FREEDOM! Magazine, whose concerts routinely outdoors - be sure to dress feature, “kids bouncing ceiling-high, warmly! A project of irrepressible hysterics and energetic Chabad of the West Sixties dancing.” Pre-registration required by 212-706-7708 Friday, December 15 at A project of www.chabadwestside.org/kidsclub. For information on additional Chabad of the West Sixties Chanukah activities FOR QUESTIONS OR TO RSVP PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] visit their website at: OR CALL 212-706-7708! www.chabadw60s.com CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 4

The 1st Annual Annual memorial Chabad Reunion Chabad for Women s Judy Abrams v”g For Westside Expatriates Circle Sunday, December 17 Sunday Morning, Tuesday, January 16 10am - 12 noon. January 14 Minyan at 9 AM Achieving Balance at Chabad in our Lives 101 W92nd St. Followed by with Rabbi Meir Ossey Breakfast with all Program will include the trimmings a shiur given by Fashion an Attractive, Libby Dreisinger. at Chabad Trendy Handbag 101 W92nd St. with Aviva Sitruk Brunch will be served Hostess: Lara Slager Stay tuned for details...

ONGOING CLASSES Happy Birthday! MONDAY EVENINGS 8:15 pm WEDNESDAY EVENINGS 8:30 pm Name Hebrew Date Occurs On PRACTICAL HALACHA IN-DEPTH with Rabbi Yisroel Fried Abbe Piels 24 Kislev December 15 with Rabbi Meir Ossey AT THE CHABAD SHUL Julia Young 28 Kislev December 19 AT THE HOME OF NAAVA & DANNY ECKSTIEN Maya Engel 27 Kislev December 18 20 WEST 87TH ST. APT. #1B WEDNESDAY MORNINGS Elissa Hackel 24 Kislev December 15 10:45–11:30 SHABBAT PATHWAYS TO THE SOUL Ella Low 27 Kislev December 18 9:00 am a Class for Women THE CHASSIDIC PARSHA Caitlin Kluger 28 Kislev December 19 with Rabbi Shlomo Kugel with Rabbi Yisroel Fried Coffee & Discussion Elliot Serure 25 Kislev December 16 1hour before Mincha AT THE HOME OF RAMBAM SHIUR Gabriella Yohananoff 26 Kislev December 17 DEBORAH & DAVID SHIMKO with Rabbi Yisroel Fried 500 WEST END AVE. APT. #8C at the Chabad Shul Chabad ELC Chanukah Celebration!

Monday, December 18 Young Israel of the West Side - 210 West 91st Street 4:00 - 5:30 pm 4: $5 per person / $20 per family 00 pm - O utd (b oor M e sur e e to d nora ress h L warm ight Puppet Show - Dancing ly!) ing Pizza Dinner - Chanukah Gelt

Chanukah Toy Drive Ends on Monday!

Brighten the life of a sick child this Chanukah. Drop off your unwrapped, new gift at the Chai Lifeline Toy Drive drop-off spot.

Next Week at CELC

Olive Press Workshop Monday, December 18 Music 92 CELC Chanukah Celebration! Olive Press Workshop Music 97

Chabad ELC Tuesday, December 19 Creative Dance PK Chabad ELC Morah Torah Plus 101 West 92nd Street 166 West 97th Street Wednesday, December 20 12:30 dismissal for all classes

Phone: 212-864-5010 Thursday, December 21 - Fax: 212-932-8987 NO SCHOOL Monday, January 1 www.chabadwestside.org [email protected] Tuesday, January 2 School Resumes Olive Press Workshop

Follow the olive from branch to menorah. From building an olive press to refining the oil, this Chanukah workshop is a fun and interactive experience for all.

Please note your class schedule. If your child is not usually in school on the day of the workshop, s/he is welcome to join.

Monday, December 18 9:45 am N1, N2 10:30 am PN97, T97 11:45 am T1, T2

Tuesday, December 19 11:30 am PN1, PN2, PN3 Chanukah is so much fun! Evie T1 12:45 pm PK Mabel’s Labels for Chabad Don’t lose another pair of mittens! With a wide selection of iron-ons, stick-ons, allergy alerts and even shoe labels, Mabel’s Labels are tough, cute and easy to use. You can personalize labels with names, initials and even fun icons for non-readers. The labels are dishwasher, microwave, laundry & kid tested.

Help support the PA while getting your family organized! Log on to www.chabadelc.mabel.ca to ensure that 15-20% of your order goes directly to the PA. If you have any questions or would like more information about this program, please contact Chaviva Kaplan (Einav, PN1) at 212-724-3430.

P.S. Mabel’s also has lots of great, personalized gift ideas!

CHABAD ELC From the Desk of the PA

Many PA-sponsored events are in the works for after our winter break. Please save the following dates! Saturday, January 20 - Havdala and Movie Night Come together with Chabad families for a sing-along and a children’s movie after havdalah … Pajamas welcome! Thursday, January 25 - Parenting Discussion with Mrs. Miriam Zukerman Morahs Pearl, Esther and Leba’s mom will join us for an evening to discuss some of the joys and difficulties of parenting—bring your questions! Sunday, February 25 - Theater Outing: “The Three Little Pigs” An entertaining, live theatrical experience at the Children’s Theater in Tribeca, appropriate for the whole family. Tickets will be available for purchase after the break. More details for these events will be available upon our return to school. Helping out with these events is a great way to get involved at school, meet other parents, and contribute to the work of the PA! Please contact one of us to let us know how you can help out. Happy Chanuka,

Sarah and Deborah [email protected] 212-799-3099 [email protected] 212-932-8205 Menorah Building Blocks in Nursery 1 (L-R) Daniel P, Daniel T, Noam, Charlie, Yali

Thank You Challah Delivery Esther and Eddie Kelen (Benjamin and Beginning after the winter break, you can Alexander, PN97) for purchasing enjoy the convenience of delicious replacement steering wheels for challot from Butterflake Bakery the cars on both playgrounds. delivered weekly right to your child’s Thank you! cubby. Watch out for more details! Class Happenings Why Latkes? This past Wednesday evening, PN1 moms Our Why Latkes? workshop began with PN1and morahs gathered in the home of a condensed version of Jewish history. Barbara Ofek (Maya) for challah baking, shmoozing Presenting our past in 400-year and an all-around good time. Thanks to class parents segments, Rabbi Ossey helped Ilana Gordon (Dahlia) and Yael Dunayer (Maya). participants understand and appreciate the historical climate of the Hasmonean period, the era of the Chanukah miracle. Morah Suri then got everybody peeling, grating and mixing. Before long the school was filled with the heavenly smell of Chanukah. Morah Suri recommends making Chanukah cooking a more kid-friendly experience. Using your favorite recipe The moms and morahs had a (or the one in your new cookbook ☺), PN3wonderful pre-Chanukah party in the simply replace the raw potatoes with home of Tova Epstein (Shoshana) on Wednesday cooked ones. This will enable you to evening. A combination of meaningful conversation avoiding using a knife, peeler or food and fun cookie decorating made the evening a processor. While the results will taste a memorable one for all. Thanks to class parents Tova bit different, since “it’s the process, not Epstein and Malaika Bregman (Akira). the product”, cooked potato latkes definitely have a lot more value! Cooked Potato Latkes • Cook potatoes in skin until soft enough to prick easily • Allow potatoes to cool • Children can easily peel using their fingers instead of sharp blades • Children can grate potatoes with a safety grater under adult supervision • Follow regular recipe • Enjoy with apple sauce, sour cream or the side dish of your choice.

Happy Chanukah! CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 9 TORAH FAX Perish the Thought This Shabbat, we commence the Holiday of Chanukah, the Chanukah represents the victory of light over darkness and highlight of which is the lighting of Chanukah lights for eight pure Judaism over the adulterated version the Hellenists tried consecutive nights. to impose on all the Jews. The Chanukah victory is not com- plete until all traces of rebelliousness have been removed. When the Talmud discusses the requirements for the lighting of the Menorah it states that the Chanukah lights must stay lit There is yet another dimension inherent in the Tarmodian (or, at least, have enough fuel) "until the Tarmodians have metaphor. Just as the objective of Chanukah is to remove the vanished from the market." "rebels" from the marketplace, the method we employ to accomplish that goal is also one of rebelliousness. Indeed, the Rashi explains that the Tarmodians were a group of people very heroes of Chanukah, the Macabees, were rebels in their who sold firewood in the city markets. They remained longest own right. in the market until the people returned home in the evening to start their fires and those in need of firewood returned to the One cannot fight rebelliousness using conventional means of market to purchase it. education and persuasion. If logic would have prevailed, the Macabees would have thrown in the towel. There was no The question has been asked: why does the Talmud have to rational basis for the handful of ill-trained priests to start a mention the name of the people who provided wood in the rebellion against the Syrian Greek empire. But, a rebel does marketplace? Couldn't the Talmud just say that the Chanukah not necessarily limit himself to logic. It takes chutzpah to do lights must last until such time that all the people have left the what the Macabees did. By acting as rebels, who defied the marketplace, after which time there are no people left who can overwhelmingly superior forces of the Syrian Greeks, military see the Chanukah lights? strategy and logic itself, they elicited the unconventional The answer to this question lies in a better understanding of Divine forces that rebel against the laws of nature that dictate the Tarmodians and what they stood for. The Talmud tells us that the strong prevail over the weak. that the Tarmodians were a group of slaves who rebelled And it was this "rebellious" energy that provided the lone against King Solomon. Hence these people were used as a cruse of oil with the capacity to last for eight nights instead of symbol of rebellious behavior. one. Furthermore, the very name Tarmod, when rearranged spells This week's parsha features several stories that required a lot the word moredet, which means a rebel. of chutzpah, in the positive sense of the word. When one ventures outside, they will discover a plethora of Joseph risks his life to see how his brothers are faring. beliefs and practices. The multitude of diverse beliefs that exist "out there" is represented by the metaphor of the market- Tamar risks her life not to embarrass her father-in-law Judah. place. Some of these ideas are desirable, some are neutral, Joseph risks his future by stubbornly resisting the seduction of some undesirable and some downright evil and rebellious. Potiphar's wife. This last category is represented by the Tarmodians, whose history and name express the attitude of rebellion. Chanukah lights have been compared to the light of Moshiach. Today we are in need of rebellious energies to overcome the Hence, the Talmud states that the Chanukah lights must be so chutzpah of the world's tyrants and terrorists. We also pray to effective as to completely eliminate all traces of this rebellious G-d that, as in the days of old, He should assert His unconven- attitude from the marketplace of ideas. tional Divine authority and power to bring us Moshiach and the final Redemption. Moshiach Matters... Fulfilling mitzvos during the time of exile is like sowing seeds. A seed planted in the ground sprouts into a harvest that far exceeds its begin- nings. So, too, by fulfilling mitzvos, one "sows" and increases the lights Above, in the Supernal "Land", and the harvest will "sprout" in future time. Moreover, the longer a seed remains in the ground, the richer will be the yield. So, too, the longer this exile is extended, the more intense will the revelation be in time to come. This link between the present and the future is hinted at in the following verse:[73] "And it shall be said on that day,...'This is G-d in Whom we hoped.' " That is to say: "In anticipation of the divine revelation ('This is G-d!') that is manifest to us now, in the time of the Redemption, we already prepared, through our divine service during the exile, conduits and lines for the downward flow of divine energy." Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, p. 50a Moshiach - It’s a Jewish issue. For more info, visit www.moshiach.com CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 10

Halachic Times NEXT WEEK AT A GLANCE Week of December 14 - 19 Chanuka lighting on Friday, Dec 15 Shabbat Parshat Miketz ...... DECEMBER 22 - 23 Earliest time to light Menorah on 12/15 ..3:32 PM The Menorah should be lit before Shabbat Candle Friday, December 22 lighting ...... at 4:11 PM. Candle Lighting ...... 4:13 PM Under no circumstances can the Menorah be lit after sundown ...... at 4:29 PM. Saturday, December 23 Earliest Tefillin (latest of the week) ...... 6:21 AM Shabbat ends...... 5:19 PM

Latest Shma (earliest of the week) ...... 9:31 AM The 8th light of Chanukah is Friday afternoon, Chanuka begins next Friday afternoon, 12/22 Torah Reading: ...... Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1 - 40:23) Earliest time to light Menorah on 12/22 ...... 3:35 PM The Menorah should be lit before Shabbat Candle lighting Haftorah ...... Amos 2:6 - 3:8 ...... at 4:13 PM. Molad of the New Moon . . .Wed.,12/20, 9:49 & 9/18 AM Under no circumstances c an the Menorah be lit after sun- Shabbat Mevarchim down ...... at 4:32 PM. Rosh Chodesh Tevet is Thurs. and Fri., 12/21 & 22 Shabbat Parshat Vayeshev Playing Games? FRIDAY, December 15 Candle Lighting ...... 4:11 pm We have been told that the numerical value of the four letters Mincha ...... 4:30 pm of the , nun, gimel, hey, shin is the equivalent of the Dvar Torah ...... Rabbi Fried word Moshiach (both adding up to 358). Kabbalat Shabbat ...... 5:00 pm Moshiach's coming is very much connected to our apprecia- Dinner at Darna (by reservation) ...... 5:30 PM tion for the miracles of the past as enduring expressions of SHABBAT, December 16 G-d's presence in our lives, now and here. When this is prop- Tehillim for Shabbat Mevarchim ...... 8:15 am erly acknowledged, we can be ready for his arrival. Shacharit ...... 9:45 am Dvar Torah ...... Rabbi Ossey ***Kids Shul & Junior Minyan ...... 11:00 - 12:15*** Wanted: Kiddush: ...... approx. 12:30 PM Torah Readers Kiddush is sponsored by Ilan Nordmann in honor of his Bar Mitzvah Parshah and with thanks to Hashem. Chabad is looking for volunteer Ba’al Korehs. If you or Rambam ...... 3:15 pm someone you know can layn a Parshah - we would love to have you layn at Chabad. Whether you want to refresh Mincha ...... 4:15 pm your Bar Mitzvah Parshah and want to prepare a new one, Ma’ariv & Havdallah ...... 5:15 pm please call our office. The following Parshahs are already reserved: Each week, a Video of the is shown after Vayeshev, December 16 Havdallah. Ilan Nordmann Daily Minyan: VaYigash, December 30 Sunday: ...... 9 AM Perry Schulman Monday & Thursday: ...... 7:15 AM Shemot, January 13 Avi Friedman Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: ...... 7:30 AM Bo, January 27 Rosh Chodesh & legal holidays: ...... 7 AM Avremel Kugel Learn Rambam everyday at Mishpatim, February 17 www.chabadwestside.org/dailystudy/rambam.asp Jeremy Sanders CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 11

KIDDUSH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Some Laws & Customs for Chanukah *Every night of Chanukah, the menorah should burn for Sponsoring a Kiddush is a great way to share you at least a half hour into the night, or until 5:45 PM. Simchah or special family event with the community! Therefore, standard Chanukah candles (that burn for 30 - 45 minute) should be lit no earlier than 5:15 PM. The Kiddushim can be sponsored to celebrate a birthday, Chabad custom is to light the Menorah at sundown, 4:29 graduation or to commemorate the Yahrzeit of a loved PM, making sure it will burn until 5:45 PM. (Based on one. Kiddush sponsors are encouraged to share some this custom, larger candles or olive oil should be used.) words of Torah at their Kiddush. Kiddushim cost $300, $400 or $500. *On Friday afternoon (12/15 & 12/22), Chanukah candles To sponsor a kiddush, please email Rabbi Fried at should be lit before we light the Shabbat candles. Ideally [email protected], or call at 212-864-5010 x 14. we should daven Minchah beforehand. Under no circum- stances can the Menorah be lit after sundown, 4:29 PM Kiddush Schedule: (on 12/22, 4:32 PM). Candles may be lit as early as 3:32 PM (on 12/22, 3:35 PM). Regular Chanukah candles can- Shabbat VaYeshev (Shabbat Chanuka), December 16, ...... not be used for Friday night, since they must last until Kiddush is sponsored by Ilan Nordmann in honor of his 5:45 PM. Shabbat candles or olive oil may be used Bar Mitzvah Parshah and with thanks to Hashem. instead. Shabbat MiKetz (Shabbat Chanuka), December 23,.. Kiddush is sponsored by Gail Gumora in honor of the *On Saturday night, The Chanukah menorah should be lit Chabad Shul after Shabbat ends, at 5:15 PM. Make Havdallah first and then light the Chanukah Menorah. Shabbat Vayigash, December 30, ...... Kiddush is available *V’Al HaNissim is added to all davenings of Chanukah, Shabbat Vayechi, January 6,...... as well as to Birkat Hamazon after meals. Kiddush is available *Full Hallel is said every day of Chanukah. In Israel, 8 of the 18 days during the year when Full Hallel is said, are Why did the oil miraculously last for 8 days? Chanukah.

Why did the oil need to last for 8 days? What if it had *The menorah is also lit in Shul every morning and lasted some other number of days? evening. Some have the custom to light the Menorah after One important point needs to be kept in mind: the meno- the Maariv service. The Chabad custom is light the rah was lit every day of the year during Temple times. Menorah in Shul at the conclusion of Minchah, before When the Macabess retook the Temple, the problem was, Aleinu is recited. there was no pure oil available (except for one jug). As soon as new oil could be procured, they would continue *Chanukah is connected with the term Chinuch, educa- lighting. tion. It is a time that we traditionally tip our children’s According to some commentaries, the Macabees were rit- teachers for doing a great job educating our children and ually impure after fighting the Greeks. To purify them- teaching them Torah. selves, they were required to use the ashes of the Red Heifer, the Parah Adumah - a process which took 7 days. *Chanukah is a time for family. At least on a few of the On the 8th day, they would be able to make new oil. nights of Chanukah, the family should spend time togeth- According to another opinion, the place that produced the er, sharing the miracles and stories of Chanukah. best oil was in the area known as Tekoa, a four day jour- ney from Jerusalem. To go there, quickly produce some *To educate the children about the importance of oil and return, would take 8 days. Tzedakah (and to give them some spending money), In either case, as soon as the Miracle ended after 8 days, Chanukah gelt should be given. The Rebbe discussed the the Menorah continued to be lit on a daily basis with nat- importance of giving Chanukah gelt every night of ural oil until the Temple was destroyed by the Romans Chanukah and he mentioned that husbands should give more than 200 years later. their wives Chanukah gelt as well. CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 12 Fight or Light? respond positively to his request.... a single menorah burning proudly next year (maybe), the media contin- through the night do more for Jewish continued from page 2 "Rabbi Forces Removal of Christmas ues to spin the "War Against pride and Jewish continuity than the Trees" screamed the headlines. For Christmas" story and the hate mail removal of a thousand trees? the first 24 hours after the story continues to pour in. broke, the news outlets, reflecting Today, most of the Jewish community statements being made by airport The irony is that, for the last 25 has been won over to this view. But it officials, actually reported that the years, there has been an ongoing wasn't so long ago that Chabad- rabbi was "offended" by the trees and debate within the Jewish community Lubavitch encountered vehement had threatened to sue to have them on the very issue of religious displays opposition for spearheading the removed. Eventually the stories in public places during the winter hol- "shower them with light" approach. I themselves became more factually iday season--with Rabbi Bogomilsky remember one particular year in the correct, but the original slant and his colleagues squarely on the mid 1980's when I was involved in remained, and most viewers and very opposite side of the debate than helping organize the activities sur- readers were left with the impression the side that's being attributed to him. rounding the public menorah lightings that all this was part of what's lately during Chanukah in Seattle (yes, the being called the "War Against The sight of one menorah burning very same Seattle). A national Jewish Christmas," spawning reams of hate proudly through the night will do organization took the city to court to mail to Jewish organizations and more for Jewish continuity than the try and force them to revoke their websites across the country. removal of 1000 Christmas trees... permission for Chabad-Lubavitch to There are 300 million people living in put up the menorah. They were actu- Some of the news stories had an America, a large majority of whom ally quite apologetic to us: "Please almost surreal quality to them: the are proud Christians; among them understand, we have nothing against rabbi would be quoted insisting that live about 5 million Jews. Come your menorah, but we're suing the he has nothing against the trees, that December, trees and other holiday city to make them take down the he never in any way implied that he paraphernalia blossom forth through- Christmas trees and crèches, so in would sue to have the trees be out the length and breadth of the all fairness, we need to fight the removed, and that he is simply fight- land. Many Jews feel challenged by menorah too..." ing for the right to put up a menorah; this phenomenon. "How can I raise yet as he speaks, we see the news my child to feel secure in and proud So, irony of ironies, a Chabad- banner on the screen behind him: of his Jewishness," they wonder, Lubavitch rabbi trying to put up a "Rabbi Threatens Lawsuit; Christmas "when he's confronted by these dis- menorah is portrayed in hundreds of Trees Removed." The reporter inter- plays in every store window, hotel newspapers and television broad- views the rabbi, asking his prepared lobby and village square? How can I casts from coast to coast as... the question and then delivering his pre- myself avoid feeling resentful, left man who made SeaTac Airport pared sign-off, as if completely oblivi- out, discriminated against?" remove the trees. ous to what his interviewee has actu- ally said. Not long ago, the answer for many Shamefully, the airport is still obfus- was: We'll fight the trees! We'll take cating about why it is one of the only It seems that there isn't much you them to court, we'll cite the places in the United States to deny a can do to separate a person from his Establishment Clause, and get all menorah request. Hopefully in the beloved preconceptions: apparently, religious symbols removed from the short time left between now and some reporters and news editors public domain. Chanukah they will "see the light." already "knew" that the rabbi is against the trees, and once they Chabad-Lubavitch took a different But if there's a lesson here for the knew that, nothing--not even their tack. Don't fight to remove the trees-- rest of us, it may simply be: don't own reportage--was going to change put up menorahs! Don't direct your presume. Don't think that you already the way they present the story. efforts to make America "less know what your fellow human being Christian"--work to celebrate is all about, what he or she stands Even now, when the trees are back America's freedom to encourage for, what s/he wants to achieve. If up, the rabbi promised not to sue (at Jews in their Jewishness. Would not we'd listen to each other more, we least not this year), and the airport a single positive message be so might actually like what we hear. has (sort of) intimated that they may much more effective than a thousand un-messages? Would not the sight of Happy Chanukah!