Dozens gathered in Maidan Independence Square in the capital, Kyiv, at sundown for the lighting of the first candle of what local Jewish leaders say is Europe's tallest menorah. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko was joined by Canada's ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza as well as ambassadors from Israel, the United States, Japan, Poland and France in a ceremony organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine. They sang blessings under the flames of the menorah, which towered over the crowd and passing cars in frigid weather. CBC News
Happy Hanukah to Jews around the world and one person in particular -- I'm looking at you Adam! Hanukah (Hannukah, Chanukah) is an eight-day festival which celebrates a miracle of light in the darkness dating back more than 2,000 years. Because Hanukah is lunar-based it can begin anywhere from the end of November, to now, at a time when it overlaps with Christmas.
Hanukah was born out of resistance, a revolt by the Jewish people of Israel against the assimilative occupation of Palestine by the Greek empire. Led by the Maccabees they successfully retook the desecrated temple of Jerusalem and somehow a tiny amount of oil, enough for one night, lasted for eight in the menorah.
This year the Jews of Ukraine began Hanukah with a different sense of what the commemoration means because of the illegal war of occupation being waged by Russia. The Ukrainian people have resisted with courage and determination and prayer.
While this is a war waged against all Ukrainians, there is a history of specific targetting of Jews. Despite persecution, at the turn of the 20th century a third of the population of Ukraine was Jewish and Yiddish was one of the official languages. The pogroms of the 19th century intensified in the 20th. Jews were displaced, imprisoned, and murdered by Russian Cossacks. Yes, Fiddler on the Roof is set in Ukraine.
Fiddler on the Roof -- Marc Chagall
During the Second World War between a million and 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews perished as part of the Holocaust or Shoah. Today there is a remnant population and anti-semitism was a regular occurrence prior to the Russian invasion.
This Hanukah it seems to me that we must be cognisant of both the history and the present reality of Jewish people in Ukraine and around the world. In North America hate crimes against Jews are on the rise and former US president, Agent Orange, recently hosted two vile anti-Jewish "celebrities." Christians and other communities of faith must be vocal in decrying this cancer wherever it emerges. And as always we pray for peace in Ukraine and in all places of darkness.
Can we all sing Joy to the World, and joy for the creatures of the planet, with the announcement of an international agreement on biodiversity at COP15? My Groundling blog groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/12/joy-to
Lviv's Jews were targeted during a violent pogrom, encouraged by Nazi occupiers, in 1941. 100,000 disappeared.
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