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Describing that first joint Hanukkah at this year’s San Antonio commemoration, Feinsilber recalled the pope’s outreach as unique and all-encompassing, noting he himself felt compelled by it to follow the example set before him in bringing Jews and Catholics closer together “to appreciate our common roots, allow we come to God in different ways and, through our separate faiths, maintain a strong commonality.” It is his hope that this unique fellowship can be carried to other communities. Feinsilber’s family menorah has been used in each of the joint Catholic-Jewish Hanukkah celebrations in San Antonio.
Presiding as host for this year’s local event was Archbishop José H. Gomez, with Father David Garcia, rector of San Fernando Cathedral, as master of ceremonies. Father Garcia noted that the original San Antonio event took place when six members of the Jewish community attended a party at the chancery consisting of about 50 persons. He remarked on San Fernando living up to its role as the city’s center by bringing together people “to cross boundaries, to cross lines, to reach out to people who are different from us, whether it’s religious, ethnic, racial or any other kind of group.”
He had recently traveled in Europe and noted San Antonio is far ahead in terms of interfaith relationships. “They are really struggling,” he said, “and looking to us for models in which they can break the barriers of religion, which are causing major, major problems in Europe and the rest of the world.”
Archbishop Gomez noted that the joint celebration “is truly a sign of brotherhood and goodwill that inspires the whole community,” describing it as “the legacy of dedicated Jewish and Christian leaders, men and women who have come before us, provided the foundation on which we build the future.” In the prayer that followed, he spoke of the common faith in God uniting those present and inspiring all to let the light of God’s love, peace and justice shine brightly throughout the world. “We pray that the celebration of Hanukkah be a sign of your special light in our hearts,” he said, adding, “Lord, we rededicate ourselves to serve you by serving one another.”
Father Garcia delivered greetings from Mayor Phil Hardberger, expressing the mayor’s pleasure that such a gathering was taking place, followed by the singing of two Hanukkah songs performed by the Providence High School choir.
Rabbi Emeritus Samuel Stahl of Temple Beth-El noted there were more than 300 persons in attendance this year and recognized the various clergy present, which included Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim representatives. He introduced the event’s speakers, Rabbi Leonardo Bitran and Sister Charlene Wedelich, CDP.
Rabbi Bitran, a native of Chile, is leader of Congregation Agudas Achim, San Antonio’s conservative synagogue, and previously served Detroit’s largest conservative Jewish congregation. Sister Charlene is Director of Mission Support for the Sisters of Divine Providence and was previously co-vicar for religious for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, as well as being the only woman in the United States to hold the position of co-coordinator for Pope John Paul’s visit to the United States in 1987.
Rabbi Bitran noted that Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Lights, Feast of Dedication and Feast of the Maccabees, commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem by Judas Maccabee in the year 165 B.C.E., following its profanation by Antiochus IV, King of Syria. The name Hanukkah, he said, is actually an acronym for “Heth Neroth WeHalakha KeBeth Hillel,” meaning “eight candles and the law according to the House of Hillel.”
(It seems there was a difference of opinion between two Jewish houses as to the correct lighting of the menorah candles, with present tradition following the House of Hillel in lighting one additional candle each night of Hanukkah, rather than the House of Shammai’s version in which all eight candles were lit the first night and then reduced by one candle nightly.)
“During the eight days of Hanukkah,” said Rabbi Bitran, “we kindle lights in commemoration of the miracles, deliverance, mighty deeds, salvations, wonders and solace that our heavenly father performed for us in those days.” He noted, however, that no mention of the Maccabees is made in the Talmud, the reason being found in the little known historical background brought forth by Professor Elias Bickerman of Columbia University. Bickerman’s studies show the supposedly “glorious Maccabean war” was primarily a Jewish civil war, rather than Jews battling a foreign oppressor.
Contrary to modern rationalization of Hanukkah as a celebration of ideals and fighting for freedom, the conflict, he said, was more a dispute between fundamentalist Jews and those who wanted to discard Jewish traditions for the more modern and sophisticated lifestyle of the ruling Greeks. “The Maccabees, who were at first a mere band of guerrillas from the hills of Modin,” said Rabbi Bitran, “became the spiritual and military leaders of those loyalist segments of the population who remained determined to fend off Hellenism.” The battles that ensued were as much Jew-against-Jew as Judeans against Greco-Syrian invaders.
In fact, he noted, the Maccabees were extremely intolerant religion-wise, with the ordinary Judean citizen being caught between pagan and secular Hellenism and fanatic Jewish fundamentalism. “No wonder that our sages did not want the episode of the Maccabees to be venerated,” said Rabbi Bitran.
The real issue, he said, is the question of how a Jew handles assimilation into another culture. “I think that is the great teaching of Hanukkah to Judaism and to Christianity, to Catholicism, to Islam,” he said. “Where to find that middle where we are not so assimilated but, at the same time, not so fundamentalist.” He added, “Let this year rekindle the lights of the Torah and mitzvot and then open our homes to the best we encounter in the surrounding culture.”
Sister Charlene remarked on the growth of the local joint celebration in which people of faith come together, called out of darkness by God “to be a light in our world, to bring about a society of peace and justice, to overcome oppression, war, violence of all kinds and to be bearers of God’s light, working together in our city and our world.”
She drew a correlation between the eight lights of the Hanukkah menorah and the Eight Beatitudes given in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. (When the Temple of Jerusalem was reclaimed, only enough oil was found to burn the temple lamps for one day, but they miraculously burned on for eight days, leading to the Hanukkah celebration in which eight candles are lit.)
“I suspect that it is no accident that Jesus gave us eight beatitudes,” she said, “eight points of light, as it were, a menorah of words, blessings that shine light into the darkness that still crushes our world.” Mankind can know the blessings of Yahweh, she said, when we all are as passionate as God is about the liberation of all.
She described the Hanukkah menorah as reminding us of God’s unending light, faithful protection and generosity, while the Eight Beatitudes — a menorah in words — invite us “to reflect this light of God’s generosity outward into the darkness of the world.” She noted that if we live our religious convictions as personified in the beatitudes, “we can bring an end to the darkness of war, hunger, fear, greed, duplicity, vengeance and violence.”
She added, “May the light of the Hanukkah menorah and the light from the menorah of the beatitudes never go out.”
Following blessings said over the Feinsilber menorah by Rabbi Stahl in Hebrew and Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. Zurek in English, eight Catholic/Jewish pairs were called forward to each light one of the eight candles. They were: Archbishop Gomez and Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg; Father Garcia and Rabbi Stahl; Sister Charlene Wedelich and Rabbi Bitran; Suzanne Goudge and Arthur Riklin; Sister Teresa San Miguel, OSF, and Rabbi Barry Block; Sister Michele O’Brien, CCVI, and Mindi Alterman; Patricia McGuire and Bennett Feinsilber; and Doug Cross and Michael J.C. “Mickey” Roth.
Following the singing of “Maoz Tzur/Rock of Ages,” Rabbi Block gave the closing prayer, noting that as the Jewish people begin the celebration of Hanukkah, “surely our lights shine brighter because your Catholic servants share our celebration” and that, as Catholics prepare for Christmas with their own lights, they find favor with God as his Jewish children support them in their celebration.
“May all our lights, O God,” he said in conclusion, “serve you and all humanity.” |