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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Experiencing L.A. - Hanukkah 2012





















As tonight, Saturday December 8th, is the first night of Hanukkah 2012, I thought it would appropriate to once again repost this blog post (with some minor edits): 



December 2009, I was driving up the Pacific Coast Highway when I did a double take on what (at 50mph) looked like highway road signs. I actually circled back around to get a photo of the green "Happy Chanukah" sign, and the yellow "lighten up," "celebrate freedom" and dancing rabbi signs. Hey, it got me to stop.



Outside of New York City, Los Angeles has the largest Jewish community in the world..I'm continually impressed by the impact that Jews - who make up less than 2% of U.S. population - continue to have in American society..As I've shared before I'm convinced that I - and other Christians - can learn from the Jewish community in the sense of impacting the larger society from a minority religious position..Here's another link - this one to comedian Adam Sandler's "Happy Chanukah" song. It provides an amazing list of American Jews.



Unknown to many Christians, Hanukkah is clearly mentioned in the New Testament (see John 10:22,23). Here's a fascinating link.

While I recognize that in a pluralistic society, there is a place for "Happy Holidays," it's also disheartening the lengths people go to not say the words "Hanukkah" or "Christmas". 


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I love the comment  (above) a week ago from the Los Angeles Times website regarding the governor of New Hampshire insisting on calling the tree in the state capital a "holiday tree." 

It's a Menorah, not a "holiday candelabra."


photo credit: www.dailynews.com















Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, left, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa prepare to light a candle on a menorah during the Chabad Hanukkah Celebration on the steps of City Hall back in 2009. 



From a non-Jew no longer living in L.A. - wishing everyone a Happy Hanukkah.

originally published 12/12/09 
© 2012 www.experiencingla.com





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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's secular people - not people from other faiths - who want to see things like Christmas trees become "holiday trees" ... all in the name of diversity.