Jews have struggled with identity throughout history

Religious Views, by Rabbi Abraham Garmaize

Temple Knesset Israel, Mat-Su Valley, means dedication. This is a festival commemorating the rededication of the second temple by Judah the Macccabee on Kislev 25, 165 BCE, the third anniversary of its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes.

The concluding sentence of the special prayer for Hanukah Al Ha Nissim, for the miracles, inserted in the Amidah prayer and Grace after meals -- "And there upon thy children came into the Oracle of they house … kindled lights in Thy Holy courts and appointed these eight days of Hanukah to give thanks and praises unto Thy Great Name," according with the statement in I Maccabee 4:59, "And Judah and his brethren and the whole congregation of Israel ordained that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year for eight days from the 25th day of the Jewish month Kislev."

Talmudic legend in a poetic embellishment of the historical season states that the festival was instituted for eight days because the pure oil found in the temple, though sufficient for on day only, miraculously burned for eight days until new supplies could be provided.

Let me make it clear why we celebrate Hanukah. The subject, the topic of the conversation and the theme is freedom of religion. They wanted to be free so they can be a religious people, a free nation from a strange religion.

Chanukah is our most misunderstood holiday. Ask a group of Jewish children or even adults why we celebrate this holiday and they are sure to give the stock reply -- Jews entering the temple after the desecration by the Syrian Greeks found a jug of oil that should have supplied enough fuel for the menorah for one day but instead the menorah lights burned for a complete eight days. It is this miraculous event that has been indelibly impressed upon us from childhood as the reason for the rabbinically ordained holiday of the Hanukah.

Yet the prayer that the very same Rabbis incorporate into our Tefilot, prayers, make no mention of the famous jug of oil, pakh hashemen. The prayer Al Hanissim reports only of the mismatched bottle participants and the victory of the Jews over the non-Jewish enemies. While the prayer recounts the fact that the menorah was lit, it is silent on the story that is well known to every Jewish child. The miracle that inspired the Rabbis was not the inordinate length of time the menorah burned, kindled by a few ounces of pure oil. It was rather that surprising reversal that occurred in the battlefield that encouraged them to declare the days of victory an eternal holidays. The miracle of Hanukah is not the well known tale of the longevity of the oil, but rather the military victory of the Maccabees.

This realization raises unanswerable questions. First, Jews never celebrated military victories, as in the Roman Empire or Nordic tradition. Secondly, and more importantly, the battle won by the Maccabees hardly justifies an eight-day celebration. When the Rabbis discussed that issue they were under the Roman Empire and the Romans celebrated their victory over the Jews and the Jews had no reason to celebrate a victory for 2,000 years. The only reason to read the prayer of victory against the Syrian Greeks is that it gives us hope, some day to get back the land and if necessary to fight for it against an enemy we will fight. But the higher reason for celebrating Hanukah is the spiritual one, the symbol of pure oil, the save of the Jewish soul, not to get lost in the Greek culture that stood with us for 2,000 years.

Jews were fighting to stay Jewish when they were under a non-Jewish dominion or in exile. Through the ages Jewish identity has been determined by two forces -- the consensus of thinking or feeling within the existing Jewish community in each age, and the force of outside, often anti-Jewish, pressure, which continued to define and to treat as Jewish even such groups which had in their own consciousness and that of the Jews already severed all ties with Jewry.

The most enduring definition of Jewish identity has been that of the Halakha, the law of the Torah and the law of the Talmud written by the Rabbis, laws added to the Torah in each generation to be able to live as Jews according to the conditions in exile and the situation that changes. But it was not the first definition and it was not the only one, at least in some minority opinions, even during the many centuries when it was the dominant form and the true view of the time.

Among gentiles hatred of Jews has generally dominated from age to age among those forces which have fashioned far more inclusive definitions of Jewish identity than Jews themselves would accept.

The encounter of Jews with the Hellenistic world began with the presumption that the first few individuals who were acceptably learned in Greek language and ways could be regarded as both Jews and Greek. There is a story told by Clearchus, the disciple of Aristotle, his master met a pious Jew whom, after conversion, he called a "Greek man both in language and in spirit. This openness soon became problematic. Hellenistic culture necessitated involvement of all those who weighed to be past of it in activities which required formal worship of the pagan gods. There was much Jewish syncretism with the prevailing culture as is proved by the fact that the Maccabeans revolted in the first instance, against the Hellenistic party.

In the 16th century, in the time of the inquisition in Spain, the Jewish community, which the escaping Marranos also called covercios, Jews converted to Christianity by force were returning was in theory defining its attitude toward them in terms of the Halakhah. The basic view in all versions, both Franco-German and Spanish, of the legal tradition was that of a Marrano, or any other kind of forced convert, remained a Jew and was to be welcomed back as such upon his return -- indeed, in law, he was regarded as a Jew in a state of grave transgression.

In the last third of the 20th century there are many Jews, especially the worldwide, intensely Jewish traditionalist minority for whom the question of Jewish identity is decided by the Halakhah. The overarching institutions of world Jewry, while paying respect to this view, determine their policy by broader and more amorphous considerations to history and situation. So, when the last remaining completely dejudaized, almost entirely, not having children, we call it modern.

The celebration of Hanukah will be Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wasilla. Doors are open to all.

Rabbi Abraham Garmaize leads Temple Knesset Israel.