Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 11, 2020

Charles Winokoor|The Herald News

FALL RIVER The Jewish Festival of Lights is about to become part of the COVID-19 Zoom generation.

Cantor Shoshana Brown of Fall Rivers Temple Beth El says she came up with the idea of sharing the tradition of lighting the candles, reciting a prayer and singing a song or two with her congregants.

The Hanukkah (sometimes spelled Chanukah) Zoom will be transmitted at 5:30 p.m. the first and last nights of the eight-night and eight-day holiday which according to Jewish law marks the rededication in 165 BCE of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

The first night of Hanukkah is this Thursday, Dec. 10; the last night will be the following Thursday on Dec. 17.

Brown and her husband Rabbi Mark Elber have conducted services for Temple Beth El since July 2013.

It will be short, maybe 20 minutes with two or three songs, Brown said.

She said the last time members of the congregation were allowed inside the temple to attend services was in September during the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Special precautionary measures at the time were in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Brown says theres a good reason that weekly, religious services on the mornings of Monday and Thursday, as well as every Friday evening and Saturday morning, have been held remotely.

The median age of our congregation is about 80. Its not worth the risk to our community, she said.

The night-to-night lighting of candles of one through eight each of which is placed ina menorah -- is meant to symbolize a miracle of sorts.

According to the Hebrew Talmud, following the battle victory of the Maccabees over a Greek Seleucid Empire militia, it was discovered there was only enough sacred olive oil left to burn in the menorah for a single night.

The miracle was that it lasted eight nights, which Brown says represents the continuation of the Jewish people.

Its a very minor holiday, compared to other religious holidays on the Jewish calendar, Brown said, but one that engenders celebration and optimism.

Brown said Hanukkah, which usually occurs in December and often includes the exchange of cards and gifts, has come to represent an equivalent of sorts to Christmas in the minds of many Christians.

Rabbi Elber said he hopes the Hanukkah Zoom version helps fill a void created by the current coronavirus, which so far has led to the deaths of around 285,000 Americans.

In more than one previous year, Elber said, a Klezmer band was hired to play Eastern European Jewish dance music in the temple for one of the days of Hanukkah.

Weve always had an afternoon party with music and food, he said, adding that the Zoom version is a great way to keep it alive and vibrant.

Elber said invitations to take part in the Hanukkah Zoom are limited to temple members to prevent anyone from hacking in and making anti-Semitic remarks.

He said he conducts all Zoom prayer services from his home as opposed to inside the temple building.

Temple Beth El president Steve Silverman said sharing the holiday remotely is the best alternative we have and a great choice for people to see each other.

Cantor Brown said the only conceivable silver lining in terms of the pandemic, as far as Zoom prayer services is concerned, is that some former congregants who no longer live in the area are able to partake using their home computers.

She cited the examples of one woman in her 90s living in a New Jersey assisted living facility and another elderly woman who resides in Chestnut Hill.

Rabbi Elber said Hanukkah traditionally starts as the moon wanes and concludes with a move towards new light.

Placed in the context of the current pandemic, Elber said that lunar progression is probably an apt metaphor for the much-anticipated arrival of an effective COVID-19 vaccine.

God willing, as they say, and with good science, he said.

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Hanukkah in Fall River Zooming live courtesy of Temple Beth El - Fall River Herald News

Category: Talmud
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