This year, we are fortunate to have Hanukkah coincide with two Shabbatot as the festival began last week on Friday evening. We can conclude Hanukkah with the entire menorah aflame as we also light our candles for Shabbat. Our sages wisely uplifted the theme of light to represent the essence of Hanukkah. Light represents the spirit of Jewish faith. There have been numerous attempts to extinguish the light of Judaism. However, if belief and hope are present, the flame can never be put out. The vessel of oil symbolizes this truth. The little remnant of oil was able to rekindle the sacred Eternal Light of the Temple. So too, the abiding belief in our tradition is able to spark its transmission from one generation to the next. Our sages chose to capture this conviction from the words of the prophet Zechariah, which were read as the haftarah of last Shabbat. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, says the L-rd of Hosts." The flickering candles represent the eternal survival of the spirit of Jewish belief.

Unfortunately, we are living in a period where a new effort has emerged to douse these candles of the spirit. The insidious nature of terrorism is that it tries to destroy the spirit of those it preys upon. Because terrorism against Jews can now happen at any location in the world - a beach in Mombasa, Kenya, a pizza parlor in Jerusalem, a hotel in Netanya, or a synagogue in Tunisia, the response might be to give in to despair. However, the lesson of Hanukkah is to hold on to that precious flame of hope - the hope that ultimately ignited into the rebirth of our people so many centuries ago.

We are entering a sad, new chapter in the history of our people and our faith. Unfortunately, the sentiment against Judaism is becoming a mass movement of anti-Semitism in the Arab and the Islamic world. The Islamic month of Ramadan has just concluded with the celebration of the Eid. Ironically, one can buy an American postage stamp at any post office, which celebrates a Muslim holiday. This is a testimony to the freedom of religion that is a cherished right of the United States. In addition to the Muslim stamp, you can buy a religious Christmas, a secular Christmas, a Kwanzaa or a Hanukkah stamp. (By the way, the U.S. Postal Service has sold fifty million Hanukkah stamps.)

However, in Egypt, the Eid was celebrated with a conclusion of a blockbuster Egyptian mini-series based on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols are one of the greatest forgeries of all time, claiming that a group of old, rich Jewish men dominate and create the political events of history. Nevertheless, this anti-Semitic lie was made into a multi-million dollar television series in Egypt - a country that is so-to-speak "at peace" with the existence of Israel. Due to the success of this series, the Palestinian Authority is embarking on a television project to show that Jewish history in the land of Israel is a fabrication and that the Temple in Jerusalem never existed. Sadly, the deaths of the three Israeli tourists in Kenya were called, "a Ramadan gift to the Palestinian people." These developments are not a protest against Israel's control of the West Bank and Gaza. They are an attempt to extinguish the candle of Judaism.

At this most appropriate time, the lights of Hanukkah must be our inspiration. The Jewish spirit can never give in to terror that seeks to oppress it. The Jewish spirit must boldly assert itself and its power to survive. The flames of the menorah are proof that the small, tiny minority can succeed if it holds fast to its convictions and beliefs. Let us hold this vision closely at this most difficult period.