Monday, December 12, 2005

Chabad: menorah a universal message

Courier-Post:

...Like the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, sponsored by the Haddonfield Celebrations Association, the Hanukkah celebration won't cost the borough a dime. The ceremony will be sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Camden and Burlington Counties and the ShopRite at Garden State Pavilions in Cherry Hill is providing food.
"I think it's wonderful," Haddonfield Commissioner Edward Borden said. "I'm delighted that our community recognizes the importance of the Festival of Lights in our holiday celebration. I'm glad that there are people out there willing to sponsor it."
Since the Supreme Court ruled the Constitution permits religious ceremonies on public ground, several communities have started lighting a menorah, including Atlantic City, Toms River, Medford and Cherry Hill.
"The menorah is originally a religious object, but the message is a universal one -- a bit of light to overcome the darkness," said Rabbi Yitzchok Kahan, who will conduct Haddonfield's ceremony with Rabbi Mendel Mangel, the Chabad's director...
posted by Yeshiva Orthodoxy
at 1:59 PM

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Chabad Rabbi in my old town in MA used the same argument of 'universal symbol of freedom' in persuading the town board of selectmen to allow a public menorah lighting in the public traffic circle. This was actually written up in The Rebbe's Army because every other Jewish group in town got together to petition the board not to allow the lighting.

I never had the nerve to ask the Chabad Rabbi whether he would allow the non-Jewish president of the board to say the bracha and kindle the 'universal symbol of freedom'.

4:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

""The menorah is originally a religious object" said the Lubavitcher shliach.

And now he has made it into a secular one ???

7:27 PM  

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