Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Chanukah

The only reason I even knew it was chanukah is that on my walk to the class I taught this afternoon, the chabadnicks were handing out latkes on campus. I stopped and got one (and some of those chocolate coin thingies).

Have I become so far removed from the jewish community that I don't even know when holidays are happening anymore? Apparently so...

Am I sad about that? Not really.

Happy chanukah to those who celebrate, and happy first snow of the winter to those who live in my neighborhood, and happy last day of class to me! (on an off topic note, my students applauded me after I finished teaching my last lecture of the semester today. It was freakin awesome).

15 comments:

  1. Before you get too happy about Hanukah, bear in mind that it primarily celebrates the victory of people like me over people like you.

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  2. You don't care that it's Chanukah? That IS a little bit sad. That implies that you'd rather jettison your Jewish identity entirely. I know you're an atheist and that you're not religious, and that's certainly your prerogative, but do you feel like you have no cultural connection to Judaism either? Hundreds of thousands of Jews in the US are decidedly un-halakhic and are at best agnostic, yet they maintain a cultural and ethnic connection to Judaism, without it being a religious thing for them.

    You said you and B celebrated Rosh Hashana together with pomeganates. Why is Chanukah different for you?

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  3. YH- as time goes on, i have less and less cultural connection to judaism, yes.

    I don't know why rosh hashana seems more important to me than chanukah...maybe becuase rosh hashana was always a big deal when i was growing up, and chanukah not so much (I mean my parents lit the menorah and stuff, but my dad usually got home late from work and just lit his when he got home at like 10:30pm or something). Chanukah is also not a holiday i've celebrated much since leaving home...2 years ago me and a friend made latkes for a new years potluck (Which was the last day of chanukah that year i belive), and last year I went to a friend's chanukah party, but it never really seemed to me like a very important holiday.

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  4. "JP- i'm not greek,"

    Neither were the Jewish Hellenizers.

    Nothing really changes, you know.

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  5. Just call me Yaakov HaMakabi ("Jacob the Hammer")

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  6. Leaving aside your rejection of your parents dogmatic beliefs, it sounds like they gave you a mixed bag ritually, some that you remember warmly, some negatively.

    I'm sorry that your parents aren't willing to accept you as you are. Anyone reading your blog can see that you're not going to be doing any religious about-faces anytime soon, if ever (anyone but Jewish Philosopher, that is), and that it's better for them to try to give you a positive experience with the things you will participate in rather than constantly trying to "chage you back" and making you feel bad.

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  7. On a totally different note, congratulations on your last-day-of-class applause! That's totally awesome! That means not only did you not bore the hell out of them, you actually taught them something and they appreciated it. I wish i could have audited a class.

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  8. Slivovitz is right... applause is a sign that you actually made a dent in those little minds. A huge accomplishment... so don't forget to celebrate!

    As for Chanukah, well... the winter is long and dreary without some celebration, and candles are so beautiful with the snow falling outside. As I get older, I appreciate the light that Chanukah brings...

    As for self-righteous anti-semites who insist on insulting you... *BIG YAWN*

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  9. "(on an off topic note, my students applauded me after I finished teaching my last lecture of the semester today. It was freakin awesome)."

    That's amazing. Congratulations!

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  11. AE, I've kind of lost interest too. Now I just do it if my kids are invited to somebody's Chanukah party or event.

    I think part of the problem is there is nothing to connect to. The holiday celebrates a victory over the greeks - something that occured a zillion years ago. This means very little to me personally. It's kind of like Christmas - very few actually celebrate it for the birth of JC - most do it because it's a national holiday.

    I wish we celebrated establishment of Israel or the 6 day war or something that has meaning to people living now.

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  12. > I wish we celebrated establishment of Israel or the 6 day war or something that has meaning to people living now.

    In my community, the Federation and the JCC have a big celebration for Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day) where everyone gets together for a carnival and concert and roving performers.

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  13. > I think part of the problem is there is nothing to connect to. The holiday celebrates a victory over the greeks - something that occured a zillion years ago.

    I would agree with you if Hannukah was a modern innovation commemorating an ancient event.

    But the celebration isn't just about something that happened in ancient times. It's also a celebration OF the celebration throughout the past 2,200 years. The holiday itself has become as much a historical event in its own right as much as the original story.

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