As I recently said in a sermon our Chanukah story nemesis, Antiochus Epiphanes, unlike other Israelite/Jew haters did not enslave or slay us. Rather, around 167 BCE, he wanted to consolidate his empire by having all his subjects worship the same idols and share the same culture. In order to do so, he had to know enough about Judaism in order to cut it off at its foundations. He banned on penalty of death Torah study and circumcision, the witnessing of the new moon and observance of holidays. He placed idols in the Temple and let pigs run free, thereby making it unusable. That is when the Eternal Light went out.

Imagine if our enemies are more knowledgeable than we are. Imagine if they care to know more than we do about the Temple and its centrality to ancient Judaism. Imagine if they recognized that without Torah study, Judaism would wither yet we do not set aside even a few minutes each week for Torah study. Imagine if their physical idols are no more threatening to Judaism than are our idols of status and financial achievement, of letters preceding and trailing our names.

As Chanukah approaches, let us open the gifts of Judaism. Let us go on a google search about Chanukah and see where the hyperlinks take us. Let us gather the family and not leave the dreidel game until we remember the letters and what they stand for. Let us give presents that encourage further Jewish engagement. Let us plan a vacation with a specifically Jewish activity such as a museum or historic synagogue.

In other words, let us not only kindle lights for the eight days of Chanukah but rekindle the eternal light of our Jewish spirit.