Two nights ago, Jews around the world lit the first candle on the Chanukah menorah. In four nights, Jews around the world will greet the new calendar year 2025.
Many themes of Jewish life converge during these days with themes of wider – not only Western – Human continuity. Of course, we rely upon the symbols – and the values underlying them – established by our forebears, to meld these various converging themes to inspire us forward with purpose and determination (in the Northern Hemisphere, for sure).
Such as…lighting candles to dispel darkness, living under freedom rather than under tyranny, the rule of law rather than of might, few prevailing against many, the sanctity of all human life, flame representing the soul of a human being, and all peoples being tasked to try to make tomorrow better than today. And so on…
Our children delight in the tasty, colourful celebrations that incorporate the ancient/modern symbols. Parents and grandparents delight as well, for which parent is not moved by their children’s happiness? But we – parents and grandparents – also know that the celebrations have been hard won. And so, the celebrations play a deeply formative role in raising our children and reminding them -and us – of who and why we are.
Recent Jewish history has been painfully illustrative.
Rabbi Ayala Deckel, in Israel, pointedly expressed this very point when she wrote about her husband and his reserve colleague soldiers lighting the Chanukah menorah last year during their battles in Gaza. “[When] my husband returned from Gaza, I asked why it had been so important for them to light a hanukkiah in between missions. After all, they had such little time to rest at night when they weren’t fighting. He explained that the very act of lighting Hanukkah candles had given them strength. He said it helped them – religious and secular alike – think about how our people had overcome challenges in the past. Lighting the hanukkiah gave them hope that there was indeed still light in the world and that we would all get through this crisis. It reminded them that their own actions could help bring back the light.”
Rabbi Deckel’s observations about “bringing back the light” apply to all of us.
GAJE awaits news of the outcome of our motion for leave to appeal the decision to cast our application out of court. Our determination to try to end the discrimination in educational funding has not flagged. Nor will it. We are inspired by the glow of the lit Chanukah candles.
In addition to the Jewish history embodied by the light of the candles on the Chanukah menorah, their flickering shine also inspire the continual rededication of GAJE’s efforts to bring back the light of fairness and justice in educational funding in Ontario.
We conclude this update as we did at this time last year. “In the year 2025, our community – along with all caring Jewish communities worldwide – joins the fight to defend Israel and the Jewish people, inspired and informed by Jewish education, by “being, knowing, doing and celebrating Jewish”. That is our task going forward into calendar 2025. It has been the task of every generation from Jewish antiquity to today.”
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GAJE awaits a decision on our motion to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the decision of the Divisional Court that agreed with the Government of Ontario to dismiss our application for fairness in educational funding.
If you wish to assist GAJE and contribute to our lawsuit, please click here.
For further information, please contact Israel Mida at: imida1818@gmail.com
Charitable receipts for donations for income tax purposes will be issued by Mizrachi Canada. Your donations will be used for the sole purpose of underwriting the costs of the lawsuit.
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Shabbat shalom. Chag Urim Chanukah samayach
Our hopes and aspirations for a good new year of manifold blessings for our community and for the world… Am Yisrael Chai
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education (GAJE)
December 27, 2024
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 