Community
THE JEWISH FEDERATION
OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Bringing More Light Into the World
O
n the evening of December 2nd, Jews around
the world will begin the celebration of Chanukah.
This eight-day holiday commemorates the victory
of the Maccabees over the Greek Emperor
Antiochus, who forced Jews to worship idols
rather than one
G-d. Following
this defeat came
the rededication
of Jerusalem’s
Temple. Chanukah,
in fact, means
rededication.
Whether we
communicate in
Russian, Spanish,
Ladino, Amharic,
French or almost
any other language
spoken around
the globe, Jews
throughout the
world will recite
the same series of
Hebrew blessings
over their candles to welcome this holiday.
The candles – one added each night – help us
remember the miracle of the small quantity of oil
that provided light to the Temple’s menorah for
eight days. Hence, Chanukah is also referred to as
the “Festival of Lights.”
This miracle that is celebrated each year is
illustrative of the Jewish concept of peoplehood.
Wherever we live – Kiev, Budapest, Addis
Ababa, Jerusalem or San Diego – and however
we live – whether we practice the religious
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tenets of Judaism or consider ourselves atheists – there is a
common thread that binds the Jewish people together. Though
often complex because of our inherent diversity of language,
religious practice and disbursement around the world, this thread
weaves together the tapestry of our 4,000-year-old history, while
also providing
a roadmap to
continue that
history in a modern
world.
Peoplehood is a
sense of unity that
has permeated
Jewish life for
millennia. It makes
us part of something
that is bigger
than ourselves.
In Hebrew, it is
described as “kol
yisrael arevim zeh
bazeh” or “all Jews
are responsible
for each other.”
This communal
responsibility, this joint responsibility to care for
one another, is even written into Jewish law.
The Jewish Federation of San Diego County is the
vehicle that brings the local Jewish community
together in the most inclusive terms. The
Federation provides programs and services for
everyone from babies to children to youth to teens
to young adults to adults and to seniors. These
programs and services address Jewish education,
continuity, identity, leadership, social justice,
community service and an array of social services