On Hanukkah, Let’s Rededicate Our Commitment to Environmental Justice
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
Hanukkah has interpreted in many different ways by Jewish communities down the ages. More recently some American Jewish religious leaders have portrayed it as a holiday of sacred environmental concern.
Rabbi Brant Rosen explains why and what that implies: “If Hanukkah is to be a true celebration of environmental justice, it must become a ‘rededication’ to fight for a more universal vision of liberation, for a world of solidarity, mutual aid and open borders.”
[Updated 4th Jan 2020]
This article was originally published by Truth Out on Sun 22 Dec 2019. Read the original here.
On Hanukkah, Let’s Rededicate Our Commitment to Environmental Justice
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Here is an even more radical suggestion. Why not celebrate this 2000+ year-old story of Jewish emancipation together with secular/religious Jews and non-Jews by lighting candles every night, eating latkes and donuts, playing with the dreidel, singing Maoz Tsur and giving Chanukah gelt to the grandchildren. You never know it might catch on. Chag Sameach.
BTW Tu B’shvat is notionally Environment day and the Torah contains a lot of environmental guidance if we care to read it.