WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. December 20, 2008: A reader has sent along the following sermon announcing the beginning of Chanuka, The Festival of Light Sunday evening, giving a perspective on this special time. WPCNR is pleased to pass this along in the spirit of the season:
A Chanukah Sermon
Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Founder/President, PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values
Tomorrow night, Dec. 21st corresponding to the 25th day of Kislev in the
Hebrew calendar, marks the first night of Chanukah. The very word Chanukah,
conjures up happy and joyous images and memories for most Jews. Dreidel
(spinning top) games, latkes (potato pancakes), presents or at least some
Chanukah gelt (money) are all part of the Chanukah experience.
Surveys tell us that Chanukah is one of the two most popular festivals for
American Jews, Passover being the other. Passover is mentioned as one of the
three pilgrimage festivals in the Bible, a time when Jews in ancient times
made their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday. But Chanukah is not
even mentioned in the Torah as its historical origins post-date the Biblical
canon. Some rabbis have cynically commented on the popularity of Chanukah as
the attempt of Jews to copy the observance of Christmas by their gentile
neighbors. How better for Jewish parents to counter the “Christmas envy” of
their children than to provide a “Jewish Christmas”.
But motivations for observance notwithstanding, just as serious Christians
try hard to put the Christ back into Christmas, Jews too must drill down a
bit to discover the power of the Chanukah message. And when they do, they
will discover a message that is as central to Jewish teaching as any in our
tradition. It is also a message desperately needed in the world.
In 198 BCE, the Syrians conquered the land of Israel bringing it under the
influence of Hellenism which had swept the continent over the previous two
centuries. With the rise of Antiochus Epiphanies as the king of Syria in
175, the Jews of Israel suddenly faced a tyrant bent on crushing the
practice of Judaism and enforcing the submission of Jews to the political
and cultural influence of Hellenism and the Seleucid kingdom. In 169
Antiochus devastated Jerusalem, massacring thousands of Jews and desecrating
Judaism’s holiest shrine, the Temple in Jerusalem.
While much of the political and religious elite of Israel seemed prepared to
bend to the will of their powerful enemies and compromise on the tenets of
Judaism, one family, the Hashmoneans, refused. Under the military leadership
of Judah the Maccabee, Israel gradually rallied against Antiochus. On the
25th day Kislev, the Maccabees retook Jerusalem from the Syrians and
rededicated the Temple for Jewish worship. The Hebrew word Chanukah,
literally means, “dedication”. The custom of celebrating eight days of
Chanukah stems from the belief that the small amount of oil that was
available to rekindle the menorah (sacred lamp) in the Temple burned for
eight days even though the amount of oil was barely sufficient for one.
Whether or not one believes literally in the miracle of the high octane oil,
on a spiritual level Chanukah is about a much bigger miracle. It is the
miracle of faith conquering fear; the miracle of the few overcoming the
many; the miracle of liberty winning out over oppression.
As is so often the case, life and history come to affirm eternal truths. I
believe that it is no coincidence that Chanukah comes within a week or two
of Human Rights Day every year. Human Rights Day was celebrated on December
10, or at least it should have been celebrated. We ignore the day at our
peril. This year marked the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. Enshrined in
that international agreement are principles that are at the core of
democracy: the right to life, liberty and security of person; equal justice
before the law; protection against cruel and degrading forms of punishment;
freedom of thought, conscience and religious practice.
These principles are also at the core of Judaism. Genesis 1:27 articulates
the principle that every human being is made in the image of God (tzelem
elohim). I believe that tzelem elohim is the single most radical teaching in
the Torah. “Radical” has two meanings and I intend both. The first meaning
of “radical” is “going to the origin or fundamental meaning”. In that sense
tzelem elohim points to the fundamental teaching of the entire Torah-treat
every person as if they were made in the image of God. The second meaning
of “radical” is “drastic reform from a current state of social or political
affairs”. Were we to internalize the message of tzelem elohim in our own
behavior and succeed in getting societies and nation-states to abide by that
principle as well, we would be well on our way to the Messianic era.
We are far from that place!
-In violation of the teachings of Torah we stand as idle witnesses to the
ongoing genocide in Darfur. The Sudanese government defies international
sanctions with impunity, the Chinese continue to support the perpetrators of
genocide with arms and Darfurians continue to die.
– In violation of the teachings of Torah we stand as idle witnesses to the
ongoing repression in Burma. A military dictatorship has been in control of
the country since 1990. There is widespread state sponsored human
trafficking, forced child labor and use of sexual violence as a means of
political control and repression. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi
has been under perpetual house arrest for years and the attempted peaceful
protest by Buddhist monks in Burma last year was put down violently.
– In violation of the teachings of Torah we stand as idle witnesses to the
illegal rule of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Ignoring his agreement to share
power after he lost the most recent election to Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe
has ruthlesslesly intimidated and killed his opponents, has plundered the
country of its wealth and has left most of the country subject to disease
and starvation.
Tyranny is far from defeated in our world. We have a long way to go to get
the world to abide by the principles of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights
that are so consistent with Jewish values.
In the Chanukah story, the Maccabees were the ones who fought for liberty,
for the right to practice their religion, for the dignity of human freedom.
Two thousand years before Patrick Henry they declared: “Give me liberty or
give me death!”
Who are the Maccabees who will fight for human rights in our world today?
Nelson Mandela has been a Maccabee in the way he helped South Africa emerge
from a history of apartheid and insured that his society would be ruled, not
by vengeance over the past, but by forgiveness and reconciliation. The Dali
Lama has been a Maccabee in the way he has represented peaceful resistance
to the Chinese occupation of his native Tibet and has become a peace
emissary to the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday we will
celebrate next month, was a Maccabee in the way he helped this country face
its deeply rooted racism and showed us a path to a better America.
Just last week I participated in a national conference sponsored by Rabbis
for Human Rights here in Washington D.C. That conference was infused with
the Maccabee spirit because the organization understands that truth and
honesty demand that we not only point the finger and act on violations of
human rights around the world, but that we need to look in our own backyard
as well.
It is now common knowledge that our own country has been involved in
state-sponsored torture of detainees, not only in Guantanamo, but in prisons
all around the globe. The Center for Constitutional Rights has documented
that the prisoners range in age from age14 to 80. Most have been denied
access to legal representation. Military experts have testified that the use
of torture is ineffective in extracting information from prisoners and the
practice has made a mockery of America’s claim to be fighting to protect
democracy and human rights around the world.
Even more difficult is for us to look at our beloved State of Israel. Rabbis
for Human Rights is a deeply Zionist organization. It believes that after
2000 years of persecution and the near annihilation of our people during the
Holocaust that the legitimacy of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East is a
necessity. Yet rabbis need to answer to a higher authority. They need to be
Maccabees.
In Israel, Rabbis for Human Rights has fought against illegal home
demolitions, has helped protect Palestinians from Jewish settlers who would
prevent them from harvesting their olive crops, and has called upon the
state to provide equal treatment to all of its citizens regardless of race,
religion or nationality. These are not easy standards to implement in a
country that has been under siege for all 60 years of its existence and that
has enemies both outside and within its borders. However it is a standard
that is set in Israel’s own Declaration of Independence when it calls on the
country to live up to the standards of justice and peace as envisioned and
articulated by the Biblical prophets like Isaiah, Amos and Jeremiah.
Chanukah coincides with the winter solstice. It is the darkest time of the
year. And into that darkness, we are commanded to bring forth light. In the
Talmud there is debate as two whether the Chanukah menorah should be lit
with eight candles the first night, decreasing by one each night until we
only have one on the last night or rather, to start with one and finish with
eight. The ruling was to move from one to eight suggesting that even a
thousand years ago, the rabbis understood something about human nature and
human history.
We live in a dark time. In a world ravaged by war, prejudice, disease and
now, an economic crisis that will put hundreds of thousands of people at
risk of great suffering, we need to bring more light. Each and every day, we
need more light-just like on Chanukah. And to bring light, we need to become
Maccabees, women and men of faith who believe that liberty is worth fighting
for, that human dignity is worth fighting for and that justice is worth
fighting for.
Rabbi Sid Schwarz is the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist
Congregation in Bethesda, MD. He is the president of PANIM: The Institute
for Jewish Leadership and Values. His most recent book is Judaism and
Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights).
The Difference Between Illinois & NY? We Offer Fundraising for Senate Seats
WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. News and Commentary By John F. Bailey. December 20, 2008: Well G-Rod has the entire Illinois legislature calling for his impeachment. I’m shocked, simply shocked that Illinois senate seat was being shopped. What’s wrong with that if it’s done by good people who do not use the F-word?
After all, it’s been done in New York for years, where everything with power attached to it is for sale. No one does anything for nothing in NY. Everyone in New York knows that. Money wins elections and the ability to raise money for the party – is a key factor in who runs for office. It even trumps qualifications.
Trouble is G-Rod was just a little crude about working his prospects.
He lacked telephone etiquette. Perhaps the FBI should run some taps on New York’s present elected representatives, and G-Rod might hear some very different, very gentle businesslike conversations to take some pointers. In New York, G-Rod could claim a “best practices” defense.
But, he’s learning.
His 3-minute news conference Friday in the Windy City showed that he’s definitely picking up some finesse – he said he’s done nothing wrong. And, you know he’s right.
He just got a little tough on the telephone, asking for political support, instead he asked in an oblique way (rather crudely) for money in return for a Senate seat, according to some of the tapes. Well that’s done in New York all the time.
In fact, it’s being done now.
See here in New York, G-Rod, where everything is for sale, and nothing gets done unless you pay for it, we’re ladies and gentlemen about it. We cover our money trails. We leave discreet intervals before the payoffs are made.
Somehow the Feds leave us alone and the deals go through, over and over again. Nobody raises an eyebrow.
Once in awhile we catch payoff schemes, disbar a lawyer, but eventually we reinstate them if they’re nice. Once in awhile we get a phone tip about an employee buying things with government money, and he is pilloried in press, but still departs with a juicy pension. It’s the way New York works in the corridors of power though it’s all coming apart lately. Big time.
You just have to be subtle. Hold cocktail parties. Golf outings. Parties at country clubs. Set up Political Action Committees that raise money for a candidate or a string of candidates. Have “Friends of” committees that feed money into city committees who support candidates who vote in project after project.
But New Yorkers above all, love names without substance. We’re suckers.
You have to cultivate a name and if you have a name and the ability to fundraise – when you want something like a senate seat, you’re real subtle. You have your close friends and relatives promote you as a wonderful public service oriented individual who will be great for New York.
Remember the line, “Let’s put Bobby Kennedy to work for New York.”? That’s how Bobby Kennedy did it in New York in 1964 when he established residency and defeated Senator Kenneth Keating. Senator Hillary Clinton followed a similar schtick in 2000, beating the unknown Rick Lazio, when Rudolf Giuliani did not run. This game is getting tedious.
If you’re from a rich or politically connected family on first name basis with other names in high places who can get you cushy jobs in Washington or New York, you’re in great shape. New York is a sucker for big name. And when you come back to N.Y from Washington, you’re a name. New York just has one party, too, that makes it even sweeter. You’ve got an Assembly Seat, State Senate Seat, Senate seat, Congressional seat for life.
We’ve had a lot people like that come to New York and come in here to represent us. There was Bobby. There was Hillary. Mario. Daniel P. Andy. Now there is Caroline.
Quick, can any one see what is the unique thread here – they all could raise money, supposedly enough to help those presently in office raise more money on their own.
When they were not in office, they used their charisma to raise money for their party and local and state politicians. They showed up and worked for the party. They glad-hand. When an opening comes up, they naturally are tapped.
A grateful party sees they have name recognition and in they go. A President moves to New York, raises tons of money for party nationally and locally, and suddenly his wife gets the Senate nomination? No connection, of course. She’s so qualified.
A former Attorney General sets up a residency in New York after his brother is assassinated and he runs for Senator of New York and wins. It is a familiar pattern.
New York has become a reincarnation venue for big name politicians without a job, and our Democratic Party loves running them in here. We bring in political super stars like the Yankees bring in Free Agents. These people know the old New York money. They know the powerful because they are powerful themselves. New York power types fawn over them like celebrities.
These carpetbaggers get to run for high office because they have magic names that translated into money to buy spots, offices, polls, lawyers. They work fundraising events, chair foundations, work locally in high profile agencies and know everybody. They attract money bees like pollen.
Candidates on the local level have been told in the past they need at least $25,000 to run for city governments. Now I do not know how much they contribute – but they do hold fundraisers to pour money into the party. Even long elected officials who are not facing any opposition run fundraisers. You have to be able to raise money. As you move up you have to raise more money for the party, not just yourself.
Now if you’re not running for anything, why hold a fundraiser? Who gets the money? Oh, we’re always told they have to raise it for the next campaign whatever it may be. For State Senate, Assembly, congress, or maybe Senator.
Well everybody is all over G-Rod because, well obviously someone wanted to get him, and the FBI did their duty with their incriminating tapes. G-Rod contributed with his mouth. But, did anyone ever give him money for an office seat? Soliciting as he did was done crudely – no manners, simply making it a little too plain how politicians operate. He was embarrassing.
Come on. In New York State it is a way of life.
Just look at the projects that have been approved recently. A well-known developer contributes lots of money to a certain community leader and bingo, the governing body eventually buys the builder’s building, saying it was the best buy. How convenient. Coincidence, of course.
Anything wrong here? Hello Gangbusters. Just go over the developing that’s done by the familiar suspects and you’ll see the big names on the big political elected officials PAC Committee lists. It’s shall we say, perhaps a cost of doing business? (Don’t wait for tips on horny Governors to start an investigation).
In New York, we do not call this bribery, or soliciting, we call it “providing support.” Now if G-Rod in his conversations, he might have rephrased to Senate Candidate 5, as saying “I love you Jessie, we really need you in the Senate, how can our organizations work together and make both of them stronger, and coordinate what we need in Chicago with what you can do for us in the senate?” Now that sounds a lot better doesn’t it? Where is an etiquette, ethics coach when you need them.
People who get places and swing deals say things like that here in New York. People wanting things from elected officials lobby them, and committees solicit money and dole it out to politicians, and low and behold regulations get loosened, projects get approved, zoning codes get changed, Special Permits by the dozen get granted. Tax abatements are a breeze. IDA commitments, no problem-O.
Funding of housing projects that cost far more than they should gets done – take years more than they should to complete — with taxpayer money. Look no farther than the faux Yankee Stadium and the pathetic Citi Field giveaways to the two richest teams in baseball. New York City extracted a suite from the Yankees – was that a bribe – no way that was – well, what was it? A courtesy? A gift to the city. What was that anyway?
Certain PAC Committees collect money from developers and then distribute the money to candidates, some do not even say how they spent their money and nobody cares because there are no penalties for disobeying the reporting laws.
Caroline Kennedy has been touted by her supporters for our Senate Seat for her humanity, her good works, and her ability to fundraise. This was the first plum dangled to Governor David Patterson by the Caroliners.
Isn’t that offering a very subtle bribe to Governor Patterson publicly? But, wait, not a bribe, an advantage dangled.
The other candidates are no names – who bring no money to the table, but 100% more legislative experience. Caroline Kennedy has never written a law in her life. She’s written a book on the constitution, with a collaborator. She has never worked for a law firm, apparently, according to her biography, but has worked for major fundraising organizations in New York specializing in education. Perhaps she can be the education Senator.
Essentially, she has enough money and fame, to spend most of her time keeping the Kennedy mystique alive, and also being on the A-list as an attractor of rich people with money who can write checks. Big ones. Lots of them. What a legacy! Just what we need in New York, and the only skill really respected.
Now other than the fact she will command a lot of face time in the senate saying all the right things for New York, perhaps that’s all you want in a Senator, whose job mainly is to pump money into the state from federal coffers, and send out press releases about it.
Judging from Senatorial performance the last 8 months, she can’t do any more harm than the 100 bought-and-paid legislators in there now. Because, make no mistake the lobbyists run Washington. Chris Dodd, the Senator who runs the banking committee got $4 Million from credit institution interests and he has been sitting on credit reform for years. They work for their contributors, not you, and that’s who they listen to.
Here’s a prediction. Who do you think will be the next to get a bailout?
The big losers in the Madoff $50 Billion Caper.
$50 Billion? That’s a drop in the bucket. You can bet that Senators’ and Representatives’ telephone lines are burning up with calls from the rich and famous this minute, saying, “You Son-of-a-expletive, you’re not getting another dime unless you make me whole. I’m expletiving ruined. I made you and you have to make us whole.”
What do you think? No one has thought at all about saving you, Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains. I want to hear what Caroline thinks we should do before she goes up to the Senate.
However, Governor David Patterson has to get some sort of quid pro quo from the Caroliners.
He has to be assured that the party will not throw him under the bus and put Andrew Cuomo, his rival for the next Gubernatorial Nomination – coming up in 2010—behind the big wheel of the Democratic Party Super Cruiser.
Putting Andrew Cuomo into the senate clears the decks for Patterson, however, that could backfire if the Democratics then decide to run Caroline for Governor – hey if Caroline would be a great Senator, she’d be a great governor, too, wouldn’t she? And she’d be so easy to manipulate. On second thought, I take that back, send her to Washington where she will hurt us less.
Something Governor Patterson is not, is manipulatable. Otherwise he would never have shown the legislators up so much.
Governor Patterson is making a lot of enemies in Albany by showing – YES, we can get a budget submitted before Christmas. YES, we can cut the state budget , and YES we can cut state aid to education, and YES, we can consolidate departments.
This is heresy to every last State Senator and Assemblyperson, every union head, every bureaucracy, every development agency. He has made the legislature look unprofessional, which of course they are – but they are very smart professionals actually who have been stealing from us for years, and we thank them very much, they never could have done it without us.
Governor Patterson is the enemy to them. They want him out of there in the worst way.
Our Senators, Charles Schumer, and Ms. Clinton have promised the ObamaBucks will bail New York out. More Medicaid refunds to New York. $50 Billion will do it (and include the Tappan Zee Bridge, no doubt.)
Perhaps Governor Patterson should appoint himself to the Senate Seat that Hillary the latest Carpetbagger is leaving. That would fix them all. But, I do not think he can do that.
Oh – and by the way, no one should ever watch Saturday Night Live again after that sorry, embarrassing, tasteless skit about The Governor last week.
The network should seriously consider firing the sorry minds who approved all the way to the top. It was back to ridiculing the handicapped. Something the non-funny comedians do very well.
The Governor memorizes all his speeches because he cannot read teleprompters or pages. Something the skit performer might not have done in his little horrible skit.
He and his budget director have put every financial officer to shame by overhauling this state budget so thoroughly faster than any governor ever.
And as far as appointing the next Senator – I do not know what I would do in his position — perhaps one of our NY Congressional Representatives who are at least in congress now.
If Patterson is not nominated to run for Governor – you heard the reason why here first.
He’s trying to work for you.
Being Outside Shoveling Snow in Cold Improves Focus, Memory
WPCNR OUTDOOR LIFE. From University of Michigan News Service.(EDITED) December 19, 2008: With White Plains experiencing its first snowfall of the season Friday of 6 inches falling at the WPCNR News Tower as of 9:30 P.M., and turning roads into slow-going treacherous circumlocutions, shovelers tonight can take heart: Being outside, helps improve your focus—even when it’s cold out.
A really “white” White Plains viewed from the WPCNR News Tower 4:30 P.M. The six inch snow job made traveling treacherous, bumper to bumper on Route 119 and there were a lot of fender benders motorists reported to WPCNR surrounding the city. Kids tomorrow will be saying, “Look out slopes, here I come.”
Researchers believe the findings could have broader impact on helping people who may be suffering from mental fatigue (from perhaps listening to too many Common Council meetings, County Board of Legislators meetings, Board of Education meetings, work sessions, news network and financial radio station commentators, seated Senators offering comments, Assemblymen and State Senators worrying about cuts, CEOs crying for money, and Senator Wanna-Be’s saying how they want to give something back by serving into the Senate.)
“Interacting with nature can have similar effects as meditating,” Berman said. “People don’t have to enjoy the walk to get the benefits. We found the same benefits when it was 80 degrees and sunny over the summer as when the temperatures dropped to 25 degrees in January. The only difference was that participants enjoyed the walks more in the spring and summer than in the dead of winter.”
Kaplan and his wife, Rachel Kaplan, a researcher in psychology and the School of Natural Resources and Environment, argue that people are far more likely to be satisfied with their lives when their environment supports three basic needs: the ability to understand and explore; to feel they make a difference; and to feel competent and effective.
Berman decided to test that theory by sending study participants on walking routes around Ann Arbor. Participants walked on an urban route down main streets and also on a route in U-M’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, taking in nature. When participants walked in the Arboretum, they improved their short-term memory by 20 percent, but showed no improvements after walking down city streets.
The researchers also tested the same theory by having subjects sit inside and look at pictures of either downtown scenes or nature scenes and again the results were the same: when looking at photos of nature, memory and attention scores improved by about 20 percent, but not when viewing the urban pictures.
Mayor Disputes Charge He Refused to Meet with Boykin/Malmud on Contract B4 Vote
WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. From The Mayor’s Office. December 18, 2008: Mayor Joseph Delfino’s office has issued the following statement clarifying the exchange between Councilpersons Rita Malmud and Benjamin Boykin regarding Mrs. Malmud’s request for a meeting with the Mayor before Wednesday’s rejection vote.
Mayor Joseph Delfino clarifies Boykin-Malmud-Delfino interchange on the Police-Fire Contract. File Photo of Mayor, taken October 24, 2008
The Mayor’s Office released this statement Thursday afternoon from Melissa Lopez, the Mayor’s press officer:
The Mayor had asked me to contact you to let you know that the statement made by Councilwoman Malmud is incorrect.
Ben Boykin and Rita Malmud did in fact contact the Mayor for a meeting but the Mayor did not deny meeting with them instead he requested that he does not meet solely with just two members of the council. He suggested that Ben and Rita contact their fellow cou`ncil members and schedule a time where they could all meet with the Mayor. No one ever called the Mayor back.