The Charlotte Jewish News - December 2001 - Page 31
Is it OK to be Happy on Chanukah?
It Depends How You Define Being Happy
By Jane Ulman
Encino, CA (JTA) - Does
Chanukah make us happy?
“Watching the candles burn
makes me happy,” says my son
Gabe, 12. “Especially on the last
night.”
“I like the story of the
Maccabees,” says Danny, 8.
“Getting eight presents makes
me happy,” says Jeremy, 10,
unabashedly.
But according the National
Opinion Research Center, even
without the anticipation of a holi
day, six out of ten Americans
already consider themselves “pret
ty happy.” Three out of ten are
“very happy,” and only one in ten
is “not too happy.”
But what do we mean by
happy?
The Random House Dictionary
defines happiness as good fortune,
pleasure, contentment or joy. The
Jewish thinker Dennis Prager says
that happiness is a serious prob
lem. Proverbial wisdom claims
that ignorance is bliss. And the
Apocrypha warn, “Count no man
happy till he dies.”
We can’t agree on what consti
tutes happiness. On whether it’s
episodic or cumulative. On
whether it’s attainable in this life,
the next life or in no life. But we
can agree that happiness is univer
sally desired and seasonally
solicited.
But definitions aside, what
makes us happy?
The ancient rabbis claim that
the study of Torah is the greatest
source of happiness - and the pur
pose for our existence. Psalm 128
says, “Happy is every one that
feareth the Lord, that walketh in
His ways.”
Starbucks Coffee insists that
eating the pastry du jour induces
happiness.
Psychologists, who customarily
focus on anxiety, alienation and
aberrant behavior, can, unsurpris
ingly, specify what doesn’t make
us happy.
For starters, money. Yes, money
can’t buy us love. And it can’t buy
us happiness either. A chunk of
Chanukah gelt will certainly elicit
a gush of glee, but, alas, a tempo
rary one. Studies show that as long
as our basic needs are met, money
doesn’t increase happiness, even
though we think it does.
How about climate? Are those
of lighting menorahs in Southern
California more sanguine than
those of you in South Dakota?
Nope. It’s a false perception that
we Californians are happier.
And here are five other factors
that psychologists claim absolutely
do not affect happiness levels; age,
race, gender, educational achieve
ment and children - or lack of
them. -
So why are we standing in long
lines, stressed and crazed, tensely
tracking down elusive Furby
Babies, Millennium Barbies,
Pokemon cards, or whatever is the
toy-of-the-minute, watching our
tolerance levels go down and our
credit charges go up? To give our
children, relatives, friends.
Happy Chanukah
coworkers, and mail carrier a tem
porary boost of bliss? And to
receive, if we’re lucky, a perfunc
tory thank you?
Gift giving, in Judaism, has lit
tle historical basis. The Bible, in
Nehemiah 8:10, tells us that gift
giving was part of our early Rosh
Hashanah celebration; “Send por
tions unto him for whom nothing
is prepared.”
We also give gifts on Purim -
mishloach manot, the sending of
portions, usually fruit and sweets,
to at least one friend and, as a form
of tzedakah, donations of food or
money to at least two poor people.
The custom of giving Chanukah
gelt to children can be traced to
18th century Eastern Europe, and
maybe earlier. For many, gelt was
traditionally distributed on the
fifth night .of Chanukah, and many
sources claim it rewarded children
for studying Torah.
Our modem custom of
exchanging Chanukah gifts is pri
marily an American Jewish phe
nomenon, stemming from the
Christian tradition of giving holi
day gifts, which itself comes from
the Romans’, celebration of the
Saturnalia and from other winter
solstice holidays in Northern
Europe.
Only since World War II, with
the rise of our materialistic culture,
has gift-giving become so lavish,
so harried and, ultimately, so
impersonal.
“Chanukah is only a minor hol
iday,” says, Zack, 15. “I don’t
Kosher Wines and
Sparkling Wines Add
Festive Touch to Holiday
This Chanukah season. Royal
Wine Corp. is offering a wide
selection of kosher wines to
accompany holiday festivities.
From great French champagnes to
lush California cabernet to fruity
Italian sparkling wines. Royal pro
vides the finest wines to match
every holiday dish.
Laurent Perrier, one of France’s
most respected champagne pro
ducers, offers two kosher cham
pagnes, perfect for starting holiday
celebrations. The brut is made
from a blend of chardonnay, pinot
noir and pinot meunier grapes —
an elegant champagne with earthy
flavors and a crisp, yeasty finish.
The rose brut is made from 100%
pinot noir grapes, imparting a
fruitier taste thail the brut but with
matching body and richness and a
festive pink color. From Yarden,
there is the classic brut made of
pinot noir grapes and blanc de
understand the fuss.”
Gifts clearly do not bring lasting
happiness. While psychologists
can’t tell us what does, they can
enumerate the characteristics that
happy people share. According to
psychologist David Myers, these
include confidence, optimism and
extroversion, close friendships or a
satisfying marriage, absorbing
work and leisure activities, and a
meaningful religious faith.
Of course, no one knows
whether these characteristics cre
ate happiness or merely result
from a happy disposition. Either
way, this insight gives us two cues
for creating Chanukah happiness.
One is to spend Chanukah with
family, friends and relatives. To eat
latkes, play dreidel and perform
mitzvot. To sing and celebrate.
And, yes, even to exchange gifts
that are proper, personal and
thoughtful.
“Most of us can just go out and
buy whatever we want,” says my
husband, Larry. “But a gift from
the heart, especially something
individually created or selected,
something that shows some caring,
is a totally different story.”
The second cue is to focus on
the true meaning of the holiday. To
ponder, discuss and debate the
miracle of the oil or the astounding
victory of a small band of Jews
over the Syrian-Greek army. To
rededicate ourselves to a Jewish
life within our assimilated world.
But if family togetherness and
significant religious themes don’t
ultimately enhance our happiness,
here’s something else to consider.
Happiness researchers, includ
ing Richard Davidson, a professor
of psychology at the University of
Wisconsin at Madison, now
hypothesize that happiness may be
no more than physiological phe
nomenon: namely, an active left
prefrontal brain cortex. Studies
show, in fact, that people with
more synapses firing in this area of
the brain are smiling more often.
As Americans, we are political
ly free to relentlessly seek happi
ness, no matter how elusive, sub
jective and indefinable. The
Declaration of Independence
announces that we are endowed
with certain inalienable rights,
including life, liberty and the pur
suit of happiness.
As Jews, the First Book of
Maccabees commands us to cele
brate the eight days of Chanukah,
which it calls the dedication of the
altiir, “with mirth and gladness.”
And, as Judah and his brothers
would undoubtedly advocate
today, “an active left prefrontal
cortex.” Happy Chanukah!
Jane Ulman lives in Encino,
CA, with her husband and four
sons.
Israeli Children
(Continued from page 8)
Hi!
We are pupils from “Katzir”
school in Israel. We are very sorry
about what happened and we are
known how you are feel. We are
hope that the New Year is good
and we are hope that the situation
will be finish. You are not alone.
Diana Nisanov -
email: Dianall4@hotmail.co.il
Milana Nisanov -
email: Milana32@hotmail.co.il
Tayar Itzhak -
email; tayarl@hotmail.co.il
Hello
We are Sasha and Ofer from
Israel in a sftiall village called
Katzir. We are in 9 grade. We are
terribly sorry about what happened
in 9/11 in U.S. We are sharing your
pain and want to tell you that ter
rorism will not win. We know how
you feeling, it’s happened in Israel
almost every day, they are terroriz
ing our country too. Israel is crying
about the huge losses, we will pray
for you. We hope the violence will
be stopped we hope for good.
Bye
Sasha and Ofer -
email: tayarl@hotmail.co.il
Dear friend,
I hope you O.K. and very well. I
don’t know your name but I feel
we have something in comment. I
know what you feel. In Israel it is
are reality.
Love
Ann Levy
“Katzir” 8 grade
Dear Friend
I am vary sorry about the terror
in America. I know how you feel
because we live with this and we
don’t know what to do. I hope you
feel o.k and that you get over this
because this is the life.
From
Lotem Gozlan -
email: tayarl@hotmail.co.il
Israel
Shalom Park
Expansion Project
Community
Meeting
Tuesday, Dec. 4
7:30 PM
Gorelick Hall
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