So here I am in the middle of spring cleaning or refreshment of my soul all the while the media, ever so cleverly - or not - is bombarding the airwaves with stories of 'Chrismikanekah'. A joyous new holiday or rather a joining of two old holidays to find new shared meaning, shared new observances, to join the two holidays. Apparently, this melding of the two holidays will fulfill our souls, filling a gap somewhere, a gap that I for one never knew I had.
This is all part and parcel of the reigning attitude towards Jews and Judaism these days. It is a mound of verbiage attesting to the intent to combat anti- semitism, to turn back the tide of hideous JewHatred now inundating this entire nation, this entire globe. Unfortunately, within this intent is to be found a rather perturbing thread of thought. That is to stress our commonalities and glide over the differences and in doing so we weaken the Jewish tradition in the name of unity and kumbaya! Even the origins of these holidays are glossed over even as they are strong components of both religions.
Christmas celebrates, at its core, the birth of Jesus, a Jew, who has been denied his Jewish roots over centuries as his people were hunted and persecuted over the millennia, accused of and 'punished' for his death, even as the precepts he preached were right out of the Handbook for the Practice of Judaism. This holiday and all that followed were celebrated in great measure with raised temperatures of antagonism, fevered promotion of violence and the inevitable pogroms to follow, which consistently shattered the Jewish communities of the Diaspora. The only way out, for survival, was conversion, the shedding of all Judaic ties -practices, traditions, family, and even that was not enough to still that nagging suspicion of remaining taint, the 'stain' impermeable, immutable, and modernized via the genetics of Hitler.
Chanukah, on the other hand is a holiday which celebrates the survival of the Jewish tradition, the Jewish people remaining true and avoiding assimilation to the point of evaporation in many cases and I must admit, understandably so. Underlying the drive of assimilation, of disappearing into the anonymity of the culture of the time, provided relief from threats of maiming and murder of self and family, and provided a doorway to fulfillment of a dream, the end of strictures imposed via religion or politics. Safety, prosperity, what could be bad about that?!
In fact, all of the above provided cause, reason, and actuality of the shedding of anything and everything connected with being a Jew. Positive were the effects of this drive to assimilate, even to the point of conversion, to the point of the abnegation of the obligation of any and all Jewish practices and rituals, of identification with the Jewish people. There too was a terrible consequence, inevitable, of self-hatred, of total denial to the point of joining with the enemy, shouting for your own death, for that was the inevitable dead-end highway.
I can hear the shocked voices, the wide-open eyes in reaction to the words of above. No, I do not advocate total separation as that too has ugly consequences. It generates ignorance, Ignorance needs to Susceptibility, to Falsehoods, outrageous, and fostering of hate of the unknown, the unfamiliar, and cynical use of such for nefarious gains and never mind the evil of which it reeks or the 'collateral' damage accompanying it.
As a matter of fact, I actually encourage friendship with those of another faith and, though total anathema to many, there is a necessity of warm friendships and relationships with those of the Jewish faith, though not perhaps observing exactly as you do, or have varied thoughts re faith vs. Faith, Religion vs religion.
Bottom line. The entire world is a salad bowl with ingredients differing over the globe. It matters not, for that salad is a blessing, the various tastes distinguishable, even as a beautiful whole, a . new whole, is created, same yet different. Individuality celebrated and unity valued.
Melding, on the other hand, requires cancellation of individuality, shedding all that enhances the salad, ceding all to a resultant dull mass incapable of independent thought, of discerning or creation of a forward path. Inevitably there is resistance and dissension, the melded salad breaks apart, and there we are again, all over again, back to the beginning again. And aren't we proud.
Seemingly, we human ingredients prefer to leave the salad, the strenuous efforts necessary for its viability and continued good taste. Instead, we build walls of misunderstanding and glaring lack of religion, and Faith in a Power greater and above all. We have lost Faith even as we bought into Religion. That Religion cancelled religion and Faith, along with much of the goodness we had learned over the years. Biases, hatreds returned and once again we, the Jews are at the front lines.
I admit, my Faith was definitely adversely challenged, for many reasons, so tired of it all, the repetition, the senselessness, the unable to be explained or understood, to be accepted. So many have become cynical, observe Religion rather than religion, receiving little encouragement to soul and heart, of replenishment and nourishment vital to that seeking soul, and selfishly, I need it so.
I seek a strengthening off Faith, and a vital, attractive, empowering religion as opposed to the weak soup of Religion, for it fills not my soul, the gaping holes still calling out to be mended, made whole. This journey of mine is not demeaning or denying the fulfillment felt by others within current structure. I am happy for them, but I need and seek something other, a deepening of an already there Faith, of religion over Religion - not too optimistic there. There is too much Chrismikanaka for me.
I am tired of such thinking, of a demanded, spoken or implied acceptance which requires a lessening of my "Jewishness". I am tired of those who prefer to remain in a closed circle, unaware that there is a world out there which has a great deal of influence and effect upon their little closed world. For all, to ignore reality as it is, is dangerous. It creates a synergy of an aura stained with virulent, toxic words and emotions. It is depressing to think this is the world we are leaving for our little ones, as we insist on taking steps in reverse direction and thoughts.
I continue to seek, to read, to confer, to discuss, and most of all to think.
On the morrow.
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