Chanukkah reminds us who we are
A Chanukkah message on choosing light, and how to join our December mission to Israel.
In this issue: A Chanukkah message on choosing light, and how to join our December mission to Israel.
In days like these — when the headlines feel heavy and the world feels louder with hate — Chanukkah arrives as a reminder.
From the attack on Jews in Bondi, Australia, to violence that reached Brown University, and to other acts of intimidation aimed at Jewish communities around the world, we are once again confronted with darkness that seeks to silence, frighten, and divide.
Chanukkah was never about waiting for darkness to pass. It was about growing the light along the way.
This holiday tells the story of resilience and courage. Of Jews who refused to disappear. Of a people who understood that light is not passive. Every candle is an act of defiance. Every expression of Jewish life is strength. Every refusal to shrink is a statement.
They may try to spread fear. Fear does not get the final word. They may try to dim our light. Darkness has never succeeded at that.
Chanukkah reminds us who we are: a people rooted in memory, bound by responsibility, and sustained by hope. A people who light candles not because it is easy, but because it is necessary.
Am Yisrael Chai.
As we light the menorah this year, thank you for standing with us. Thank you for being part of a community that chooses light, again and again.
May your homes be filled with warmth. May your candles burn bright. May our people know they do not stand alone.
Happy Chanukkah,
— Cheryl Dorchinsky, Executive Director
From light to action: our December Israel mission. Even as Hanukkah draws to a close, our work continues. Members of the Atlanta Israel Coalition will be on the ground in Israel from December 21 through January 2, arriving just a few hours before we light the eighth candle. It is a moment of light, carried into days of hard, necessary work.
We are going to stand with soldiers and families, to deliver what is needed, by hand and in person. Some supplies travel with us in suitcases. Others are purchased in Israel, strengthening both people and place.
This is how light becomes action. This is arevut.
Thank you for your support. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for choosing light.
MITZVAHS THAT FLOAT
A duck resting on a Golda Meir quote
A kosher duck resting on a Golda Meir quote — Jewish pride, quietly on display. From city parks to bookshelves, the ducks keep popping up, one duck at a time.