Each night of Chanukah we will share a message from our clergy, candle blessings, and inspiration from our Orange County community.
Cantor Young's message includes who we are honoring as tonight's Shining Light, and each night 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.
Yazidis
In August 2014, tens of thousands of Yazidis, a small religious minority primarily in Iraq and Syria, became targets of horrific attacks leading them to seek refuge in the mountains near their homes in Sinjar. Key UN officials, fact-finding missions, some governments and key stakeholders, called these attacks a genocide. Attacks included mass killings, public executions abductions, rape, and enslavement of women and young girls, with girls and women being openly sold at slave markets; and forced recruitment of children as young as 12.
The ongoing persecution is based on a misunderstanding of their name. Extremists, such as IS, incorrectly believe their name derives from a deeply unpopular Muslim leader of long ago. ISIL had previously declared the Yazidis to be devil worshippers. Modern research, however, has clarified that the name is nothing to do with this leader, or the Persian city of Yazd, but is taken from the modern Persian "ized", which means angel or deity. Their name simply means "worshippers of god", which is how Yazidis describe themselves.
UN groups say at least 40,000 members of the Yazidi sect, many of them women and children, took refuge on Mount Sinjar, a craggy, 4,600 ft high ridge identified in local legend as the final resting place of Noah's Ark, facing slaughter at the hands of jihadists surrounding them below if they fled, or death by dehydration if they stayed.
BE THE LIGHT: Chanukah Celebration for Children Monday, December 14 at 5:30pm
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 for a Chanukah celebration that is age appropriate.
