In 1995, when my boys were 11 and 14, I purchased a lovely
book called Eight Nights, Eight Lights:
Family Values for Each Night of Hanukkah,
compiled by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky. It
contained short inspirational passages to be read aloud as part of the
candle-lighting ceremony. Some sections were written by modern rabbis. Others
came from older Jewish texts. But each one provided a meaningful moment of
reflection which added to our Hanukkah celebration, making this family time
together more than just a gift-giving event.
As we mourn the deaths of those in the Tree of Life Synagogue
tragedy, it’s comforting to know that there are many good people in the world
who stand with us. November 9 will mark the 20th anniversary of the
Paper Clips Project in Whitwell, Tennessee, in which the teachers and students
of this small rural community undertook to understand the magnitude of the
death of the six million Jews who died in the Shoah. Our book, “Six Million
Paper Clips,” which documents this project, continues to sell well throughout
the world. Here are the remarks by our good friends and authors Peter Schroeder
and Dagmar Schroeder-Hildebrand, which will be read at the 20th
anniversary event.
I know you're going to chuckle and think yeah, yeah when I say Jews have been trailblazers from the word go, but think about it. Long before environmental protection topped the world agenda it was an issue embedded in the bible; long before the “mosaic society” became part-and-parcel of 21st century life, Jews were a multi-cultural people by virtue of the diaspora. Then seventy years ago, a Jewish state with an entrepreneurial spirit was born embracing both. By the end of its first decade the country had become a collage of cultures, its scientists exploring ways to harness solar power and create technology for maximizing limited water resources.
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