On Chanukah, we are commanded to engage in pirsumei nisa, publicizing the Chanukah miracle. One of the ways we do this is by placing our Chanukiyah in the window. Do you believe that making the celebration of Chanukah competitive with Christmas celebrations fulfill the mitzvah of pirsumei nisa? Should we make Chanukah a big deal for our kids or should we keep it a minor holiday?

Jewish continuity

As we commemorate the seventieth anniversary of Kristallnacht--the night of broken glass--we focus on Emil Fackenheim's call for a 614th commandment, "Thou shalt not give Hitler a posthumous victory." One of the ways we fulfill this commandment, in addition to having children and supporting the State of Israel, is to raise our children as educated Jews.

This past weekend, Rabbi Daniel Gordis was scholar-in-residence at Shaarey Zedek. In an off-handed comment he remarked that it is no wonder our children don't value their Jewish education. In what other context do people value something that has been over-simplified and constantly made easier (I'm paraphrasing here)? He is challenging us to raise the bar on Jewish education by making it more demanding. How do we accomplish this feat in the 21st century, when children are already over-programmed and parents reluctant (for whatever reason) to bring their kids to shul?