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The Charlotte Jewish News - December 2008 - Page 25 Hanukkah: The Battle for the Hearts of Humanity By Rabbi Chanoch Oppenheim, Charlotte Torah Center About 2,500 years ago the Land of Israel was invaded by the most significant empire of its era. Greece had prowess not only in its army but also in capturing the minds of men. The Greeks brought philosophy, literature, poetry, art, and drama to the world in such a significant way that their influence is still exerted today. Officially, they declared war on Jews, but their real target was Judaism, the raison d’etre of the Jews. Why would such a powerful nation be concerned with the ide ology of one tiny group amidst its vast empire? Polytheism, the belief in many gods, was the reigning religion of the ancient world. Fighting, jeal ousy, and a host of other human traits were common to the many gods, who were, after all, human creations. For this reason, when Greece (and its successor, Rome) conquered a territory and demand ed that its gods be placed in tem ples and their religion incorporat ed in the defeated land, the local populace never rebelled. Because there were so many gods anyway, adding a few more presented no difficulty. Man created gods to serve his needs; if accepting these new gods meant peace and good living there was no reason to reject them. The Jews were unlike any nation or culture that the Greeks had encountered. They were the first nation to espouse the concept that the world and all its forces have one Creator. This truth was so real to them that they were will ing to give up their lives for it. In the ruling empire, “religion” meant man’s concept of gods, but for Jews it meant God’s guide book for man. Judaism’s theolog ical divergences created what would later become a historical precedent: Hanukkah was the world’s first war over ideology. Jerusalem was the antithesis of Athens. The former saw itself as trying to make God’s world a bet ter place and her citizens viewed themselves as ultimately being accountable to Him. The ancient Greeks (no connection to modem Greeks due to war and population shifts) created their gods to achieve their vested interests. The only accountability was to the intellect. If something was logical, even if it caused another person to suffer, the intellect would be the ultimate moral arbiter. Moral con science as we know it today might have been a concept, but it was not implemented. One compelling example of this is found in Aristotle, one of ancient Greece’s most influential thinkers, who argued in his Politics (VII. 16) that killing hand icapped children was essential to the functioning of society. He wrote: “There must be a law that no imperfect or maimed child shall be brought up. And to avoid an excess in population, some children must be exposed [i.e. exposed on the trash heap to die]. For a limit must be fixed to the population of the state.” Aristotle was not saying, “I like killing babies,” but he was making a cold, rational calculation: over-popula tion is dangerous; this is the most expedient way to keep it in check. That was ancient Greece: rational thought, even if it meant killing innocent babies. When a person has no barometer by which to check his morality, even pure logic won’t save him/her from committing heinous crimes. Without an ultimate God given standard of morality and account ability, anything goes, even mur der. The chronicles of history sadly corroborate this point. The battle wasn’t merely between two nations: it was a con frontation between two doctrines, two views, two civilizations capa ble of molding opinions, training Women’s News Last Chance to Mail in Your Hadassah Blue Form Miracle of miracles, Hadassah provides you immediate access to members of the Jewish commu nity in the greater Charlotte area. Help us to include you in the 2009 Hadassah Directory of the Charlotte Area Jewish Community and assure the accu racy of your information by returning your blue directory form this week. If you are new in town and haven’t received .your blue form or misplaced it, visit our website at www.charlottehadassah.org or pick up your copy at the JCC reception desk. Hadassah thanks those of you who have mailed in your forms. Our returning patrons and adver tisers as well as our new support ers have recognized the miracle of supporting Hadassah by partici pating in the Hadassah Directory. Last year, we raised $26,000 for medical research. There are still a limited number of opportunities for firms who want to promote their goods and services to the Jewish community. In this challenging economy, the Hadassah Directory provides you with a full year of exposure at very reasonable rates. If you have any questions, contact Tess Berger at 704-708- 4857, Judy Kaufinann at 704-847- 1022 or Ivy Saul at isaul@caroli- na.rr.com please put Hadassah in the subject line). SAH and educating those who until this very day compete for mastery of the world. The inherent potential of Jewish ideology threatened the Greeks whose analysis was much later proven correct: Judaism and Christianity, as well as our American constitution, are based on the monotheistic model. This ideology that has influenced bil lions of people continues to exist today, whereas ancient Greece has been relegated to an academic topic. Hanukkah is a time to ask your self: whose side am I really on and do my actions reflect it? Am I trying to turn the world into a bet ter place or am I trying to manipu late it for my needs? Jerusalem or Athens, you choose. JL.JL, Can you imagine what it must have felt liketo travel through an unmarked countryside, not knowing the language, carrying a lOO-poundpack on your back, and with hunger gnawing at your gut, wondering where and when you'll eat again? The first Jewish immigrants to North Carolina, peddlers selling pots, pans and sundries, did just that. They were economic pioneers in the purest sense - seeking^ freedom, opportunity, and a new life in a new land. And North Carolina, for themost part, gave them just that. Learn about the remarkable stories of Jewish life in North Carolina from its earliest pioneering settlers to the diverse communities of today. IK ■ T--v!s}i .‘it ulh;-- documentary film will bring this poignant history to life. You won’t want to miss it! m.'tHvi to*.---' rVv ij,.' (919) 668.5839 • wgrossman@jhfnc.org Or buy online at www.jhfnc.org JEWISH LIEE in NOKTH CAROUl^A DOCUMENTARY FILM CHRRIOTTE • SUNDAY, FEB. 22, 2009 • 5:30pm Gala reception at The Levine Museum of the New South followed by film screening at ImaginOn McColi Theatre General admission tickets also available (film and post-screening reception only) E cam EVEat! !HF
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