As the holiday season nears, the yearly display of the crèche and Chanukah menorah at Pacific Coast Highway and Webb Way proclaims both our cherished religious freedom and harmony. Personally, I’m reminded how grateful I am for the tens of millions of American Christians who strongly support Israel. It’s a miracle that so many Christians have reversed nearly two millennia of anti-Semitism and joined Jews in our pride and love for the Jewish state. Because Christian loyalty guarantees continued American support (vital for Israel’s survival), they’ve become our true brothers and sisters under God.
So I encourage Christians to light a menorah this year, as Jesus would have done. The crucial victory that Chanukah commemorates is as important to Christians as to Jews, for if the Maccabees had lost, it may have meant the end of Judaism—and no Judaism, no Christianity. So light a menorah next to your tree; God knows we can use all the light we can get. Its warm glow represents our shared ideals of goodwill, justice and faith in God. Or, follow the ancient custom and put it in your window; let the whole world know that together, we, Jews and Christians, will never let the light of freedom die. Ever.
Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!
Reuben Gordon