Each night of Chanukah we will share a message from our clergy, candle blessings, and inspiration from our Orange County community.
Rabbi K'vod's message includes who we are honoring as tonight's Shining Light, and each of Chanukah we will continue to honor very special people in our TBESOC community.
In the spirit of Hanukkah, an eight-day holiday that celebrates the restoration of Jewish religious freedom in ancient Israel, we are highlighting eight religious communities under threat across the globe. Join us in shining a light on the areas of the world where darkness remains and the freedoms of religious communities are suppressed. Let this year’s Hanukkah observance, remind us to promote religious liberty and end the oppression of religious minorities wherever they may be. Please share this information with your friends and family to show your support for these communities and for religious freedom around the world.
Jews in Europe
Lingering prejudices and anti-Semitic attacks in Paris, Brussels, and Copenhagen have contributed to feelings of insecurity among European Jews. Synagogues throughout the continent have closed due to heightened threat levels, and the Chief Rabbi of Brussels has speculated that there may be no future for Jews in Europe. Fear of recent increases in antisemitism has led nearly one third of European Jews to consider leaving their home country because they do not feel protected. A recent CNN poll revealed that more than 25% of Europeans hold anti-Semitic views.
Currently, most Jews in France, like most Muslims in France, are of North African origin. France has the largest population of Jews in the diaspora after the United States—an estimated 500,000–600,000 persons. Paris has the highest population.
Anti-Semitism in France rose sharply during the unrest of the Second Intifada in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as it did in other European nations. In addition, a significant proportion of the second-generation Muslim immigrant population in France began to identify with the Palestinian cause, with some also identifying with radical Islamism. In the early 2000s, a critical debate on the nature of antisemitism in France accompanied denunciation of it in relation to the situation in the Middle East and to Islam. Divisions developed among anti-racist groups.
Alarmed by violence and verbal attacks, some French Jews began to emigrate to Israel. By early 2014 the number of French Jews making aliyah (emigrating to Israel) surpassed the number of American Jews who were emigrating. At the same time 70 percent of French Jews reported in surveys that they were concerned about insults or harassment and 60% about physical aggression because of their ethnicity; both figures are much higher than shown in surveys of the European average.
In 1998, Ignatz Bubis, a leader of the German Jewish community, pointed to a "spreading intellectual nationalism" that made him fear a revival of German antisemitism.
A 2012 poll showed that 18% of the Turks in Germany think of Jews as inferior human beings. A similar study found that most of Germany's native born Muslim youth and children of immigrants have anti-Semitic views.
Connect
BE THE LIGHT: Chanukah with TBESOC Saturday, December 12 at 6pm
While we have been looking sooo forward to creating an in person Chanukah event, we are changing our Drive-In BE the Light event to be virtual only. Even though the event was planned with safety at the forefront, this week, many of our volunteers and faculty have shared that they are not comfortable participating. We also want to set a good example for our children by staying home. We will re-create the event online only, and very much look forward to seeing you there.
During the course of this pandemic, we have experienced disappointment after disappointment as we have had to cancel celebrations, travel, holidays with family. Each of these disappointments creates a sense of loss and darkness. Chanukah is a time to see light in the darkness and shine out to the world. Like every holiday that we’ve celebrated virtually this year, each one of us has the opportunity to bring our light and our presence to our virtual online experiences. We want to celebrate with you and continue to shine even as we follow the stay at home order.
To drop off gift cards for families in need: please stop by the temple Mon-Fri 8am-3pm. For families with children: Please join us on Monday, Dec 14 at 5:30pm online here for a Chanukah celebration that is age appropriate.
