Tonight is the last night of Hanukah. It’s a night for family, warmth and joy. Not to mention homemade potato latkes and applesauce. And light, lots of light. Along with songs of Hanukah in Hebrew, Yiddish and English.
The accompanying image was taken tonight at a family friend’s house, where every family brought their own personal menorahs and lit them together. They were a talisman of light.
But to tell the truth, I didn’t feel much like celebrating this year. The news is grim. Grimmer than normal, which usually feels pretty grim.
But we do have each other, both those close at hand and those in our virtual community.
I hope you will reach out and respond to my year-end appeal for support. To tell the truth again, these appeals don’t usually raise a great deal of money (this year may be different!). Most readers glance past them.
But there is a Jewish tradition called tzedakah. It is not “charity,” as in the Christian custom of giving alms for the poor. Tzedakah is funding good in the world. It is not given voluntarily. It is a divine command to do justly. To make the world a better place.
So please give generously to support the unique resource I offer here. Don’t look off to your right or left. No one will step forward to fill the gap. You have to do it.
There are two ways of doing so: giving through the Paypal Donate button in the sidebar; or giving a tax-deductible gift via Network for Good (through the green Donate Now icon in the sidebar–choose “Tikun Olam” as the beneficiary).
