Newspaper Page Text
Friday, December 10, 1965
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Page Brreatrrv
Write Your Own Hanukah Service
By Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
(A Seven Arts Feature)
Jewish Law Codes suggest that
each person in the family have
his own Hanukah (as the
Hanukah Menorah is known in
Israel). This is to help each in
dividual, young and old, male
and female, to feel the signific
ance of the miracle of Hanukah.
Since the idea is stressed that
the participation of everybody is
required, why not carry this idea
one step further? Why not let
every American Jewish family
write its own Hanukah service?
First of all, we would thus be
fulfilling the tradition of having
the' meaning of the holiday
brought home on a very personal
basis.
Secondly, we would be con
tinuing the long tradition of
adding to Jewish liturgy the ex
pressions of the heart of contem
porary Jewry. Each generation,
and each century made its con
tributions to our dynamic and
progressive liturgical composi
tions. For example, the Lekha
Dodi prayer, which we all love to
chant on Friday evening, was
composed only a few centuries
ago in Safed, Palestine, and is
one of the latest additions to the
Siddur accepted by all Jewish
communities. It has become so
much a part of the Sabbath Eve
Service that we feel that it has
forever been a part of the Shab-
bat liturgy.
The High Holy Day Mahzor is
full of poems and songs and
prayers that are the creation of
gifted and sensitive poets of all
ages and all countries. How much
the poorer would we be had the
works of these eloquent paytanim
(liturgical poets) not been pre
served. In fact, thanks to the
great Genizah discovery in Cairo
by Solomon Schechter in 1896,
we have even more than we ever
thought were composed.
Third of all, the Hanukah
liturgy is an extremely simple
one. We have a few blessings, the
A1 Ha-Nissim, Maoz Tsur, and
that is about all. There is ample
room for a liturgical service, the
product of an American pen, to
enhance the worship of indi
viduals and groups. Perhaps
some of these creations would
some day be accepted by all
Jews, and thus one more worthy
contribution would be added to
the treasury of Jewish prayers.
It is a well known fact that
Hanukah has taken on a much
greater significance in America
than it ever had in the past. This
is due to many factors. Partially
because of its proximity to
Christmas. We try to make
Hanukah our counterpart to the
Christian December holiday.
While Hanukah cannot ever be
come a major holiday like Pass-
over or Yom Kippur, there is no
reason why it should not gain in
significance and meaning if
American Jews feel that it
speaks to them more directly
than it did to their ancestors.
Goodness knows we have drop
ped enough traditions and weak
ened our ancestral heritage so
much that strengthening one
aspect of it cannot do any harm,
and may do a great deal of good.
Perhaps another reason for
Hanukah’s popularity in the
United States is that it portrays
the Jew as a strong and brave
hero. After centuries of being
crushed under the heel of the
oppressor, we like this “Ari Ben
Canaan” image, and want to give
it more publicity and promin
ence. And also, because in
America we prize the values that
Hanukah symbolizes, religious
freedom and independence, this
winter festival is looming larger
in the panoply of Jewisn festi
vals.
Whatever the reason, Hanukah
is one of the most popular of
Jewish holidays in America, and
there is no reason why we should
not encourage this. We do not
want to emphasize the gift giving
overly much, we must rather at
tach importance to the spiritual
side of Hanukah, but in any case
there is ample room for expand
ing this holiday and adding to
its formal prayers and drawing
on the Jewish muse to beautify
its observance.
The simplest way to write a
Hanukah service is to compose a
few lines for each candle. Each
night, these lines—in verse or
prose, essay or prayer, can be
recited as the new candle adds
its light to the other. Thus a
series of eight literary creations
will constitute the new, modern,
personalized Hanukah service foi
the American Jewish family.
Hanukah has many ideas in it
which are worthy of expansion,
elucidation, and explication: ded
ication; light (knowledge, Torah,
truth); heroism; Hebraism versus
Hellenism; the Maccabees; Salva
tion for those with faith in God;
beauty in ceremony and ritual;
spiritual gift giving, etc. Each
family must find for itself the
best way to express what it finds
of significance in Hanukah.
Let’s make Hanukah a holiday
that speaks to the American Jew
in the twentieth century!
HAPPY HANUKAH GREETINGS
MAKVEL Cleaners
ATLANTA, GA.
2231 Cheshire Bridge Road, N. E
M El rose 6-1681
MUMISIBUIUMBMi
Say It With Flowers:
A Happy Holiday
MARGARET'S FLORISTS
12 North Avenue, N.E. TR. 4-9184
(Between the Peachtrees) Atlanta, Ga.
Flowers for All Occasions
Bar Mitzvahs and Bas Mitzvahs
Given Special Attention
Melton & McKinney
Incorporated
Plumbing and Heating
DRake 3-4622 DRake 7-2638
24 Ilour Service
432 E. Howard Ave. Decatur, Ga.
AMPLE “OFF THE SQUARE” PARKING
Greeting’s of the Season
SECURITY WAREHOUSE
113 Courtland St., S.E. JA. 2-4*52
- Atlanta, Ga.
The Very Heat Good Wishes
MARTIN & JONES
PRODUCE CO„ INC.
State Farmers Market
Forest Park, Ga.
PO. 7-0535
Bed Wish e5 A
BJhe Bfoficlaui
Atlanta Dairies
Egg Nog and Chip'Dips
For Your Holiday Entertaining
777 Memorial Drive, S.E.
JA. 3-1911
GRACIOUS
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Cunnard Exterminating Co.
254 E. PACES FERRY ROAD, N.E.
ATLANTA 5, GA.
Specializing in Home Service
CALL CE. 3-2433
PLUMBING
GENERAL PIPING
Installations - Repairs
COMMERCIAL - INDUSTRIAL
RESIDENTIAL
SERVING GREATER ATLANTA
WATER HEATERS - GAS & ELECTRIC SEWER
INSTALLATIONS - MACHINE DUG DITCHES
ELECTRIC SEWER CLEANING
CASH & CARRY
PLUMBING SUPPLIES & FIXTURES
PROMPT - EFFICIENT SERVICE
ALL WORK GUARANTEED
DIAL MA. 7-2467
E. B. Hyde & Company
PIPING & PLUMBING CONTRACTORS
412 Sawtell Ave., S.E. AUanta 15, Ga. Near Federal Prison