Chanukah’s Message To All Americans

As a proud American, Marine and Jew, I love this drawing substituting the raising of the Chanukah Menorah, instead of the American flag, at Iwo Jima. Judaism introduced the concept of G-d, Honor, Country to the world, and Chanukah celebrates that.

Let me quote some excerpts from the narrative of this drawing:

Did Chanukah happen years ago, or is it happening now? Looking at the events today, you start to wonder. The story of a little candle pushing away the monster of frightening darkness, of human sensibility overcoming terror and brute force, of life and growth overcoming destruction -- the battle is very much alive within each of us, and in the world outside of us.
After all, the victory of light over darkness is the cosmic mega-drama -- the ongoing story of all that is. It reoccurs at every winter solstice, at every dawn of each day, with every photon of sunlight that breaks through the earth's atmosphere bringing it warmth and life-nurturing energy. With every breath of life, every cry of a newborn child, every blade of grass that breaks out from under the soil. With every flash of genius, every stroke of beauty, every decision to do good in the face of evil, to be kind where there is cruelty, to build where others destroy, to move humanity forward when others pull us toward chaos. And that is Chanukah.

Chanukah is about not being afraid of the dark. We need that even more today, when the enemy is terror itself. Our own media fuels the fire, spreading fear throughout the land. Yet we go on with life, refusing to be terrified of every letter in the mailbox. And in a precious country half way around the world, our brothers and sisters defend themselves from an enemy that has no borders and knows no rules.
Our challenge, whether we are manning the front lines or fighting rush hour at home, is to strike a match and light up the dark. That's all it takes to discover that this is not a dark closet after all. It is a magnificent creation, full of wondrous things. In fact, that is why darkness was allowed in this world to begin with: So that we would learn the power of the light each one of us holds within, and appreciate the beauty that stands around us.

King Solomon writes, "Everything has its season& A time to be born, a time to die & a time for war, a time for peace." Truth does not lie at any extreme, but in a wise and careful balance. In Judaism, peace is the ultimate ideal. Yet, if one is being attacked, Jewish law forbids a passive stance. Peace and the sanctity of humanity requires, at times, that one must defend oneself, family, and country. We must not only work to build a world of light, peace and freedom; we must also defend it.
At the time of the ancient Greeks, the world could tolerate evil. Not so today. Human technology has reached a point where humanity can no longer coexist with evil and survive.

At one time, the state of technology was such that the most lethal weapon known to humankind was a wooden stick with a sharp stone tied to one end of it. Eventually, the most lethal weapon was a stick of TNT with a fuse lit at one end of it. Until recently, it was a missile with a nuclear device at one end of it.
Today? A comb with a razor blade tied to one end of it?
No. Today, the state of technology is such that the most lethal weapon of mass destruction ever created is a human being who believes that death is the gateway to paradise. Before such a creature, the security forces of the world are as tissue paper against a savage spear.

The Maccabees felt they had no choice but to stand up against the oppressor, despite all odds. Today, humanity has no choice but to destroy evil, whatever it takes. It is no longer a dream, but a necessity.