Hanukkah in America, 2002

November 29, 2002

Source: The Chicago Tribune

On November 29, 2002 The Chicago Tribune reported that "some rabbis downplay the importance of Hanukkah, calling it a minor Jewish holiday that has gained stature mainly because of its nearness to Christmas. But for many American Jews--religious or not--Hanukkah is the time they assert their identity in a land overrun with tinsel and holly. In a more public arena, the Lubavitch Chassidim have fought court cases to win the right to put up giant menorahs to assert the importance of Judaism during the holiday season. 'Part of the observance is to publicize the miracle,' said Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, which puts up menorahs in the Daley Center Plaza and elsewhere in Chicago. This year, he said, 'We made 1,000 lawn signs that say, 'Miracles Happen. Celebrate Hanukkah.' You're going to see them on lawns and synagogues all over the place.'... 'This is the time of year when Jews publicly have to grapple with the fact that we are [not] in the majority culture,' he said."