Happy Chanukah

A couple days ago I was clear out some of the overwhelming amount of junk that is in my basement and I came across my dad’s paperwork for his still in the Canadian Navy. My dad died when I was 6 so I never had the chance to really know him. The paperwork listed several characteristics about him, his height and weight which list him as slight of stature although my memory is of him being the biggest man I knew. And his religion that was listed as Presbyterian.

I do not exactly know what mom was baptized as. I seem to recall that she was married in the United Church and I do know that I was baptized United as we did with my daughter. My wife is a Ukrainian Catholic or just Catholic I am not 100% sure nor maybe is she as to that but either way a Christian.

After my father passed, mom dated a Jewish fellow for some time and even though I quite young still I was fascinated by the culture. The first concept that I thought would be excellent to be able to participate in was that of bar mitzvah. The coming of age for the thirteen year old man child. Of course 3,500 years ago when the foundations for their beliefs were forming thirteen was a ripe age, whereas today it is still considered almost early childhood.

Passover was another of the strange rituals I learned of. This one from my neighbours when I was in high school. Jeff and Heddy, our next door neighbours were Jewish of varying degree. Heddy converted to judiaism to marry Jeff and thus was more strict in her observance. Jeff not so much. This was most noticeable during passover when Jeff would have food delivered to our house for his dinner as he was not allowed to eat anything unapproved by the ritual at home during that time.

All this background to say I am not myself Jewish, nor do I have any deep affinity with judaism but I have some understanding of the religion and its tenants. What I do have is a respect for what is the world’s original slave nation and its people. Not that they held slaves, but that Jews have been held as slaves from time immemorial. Even if they were not indentured they were not first class citizens of a nation, which the history of Russia and Germany are both testament to.

Through centuries religious dogma has given man some curious rules, it has been against science, banking or money handling and medicine. No such restrictions have existed for the Jews so they have filled these positions with a flourish and as they were positions that few went in to and their was a high demand for the services Jews became quite adept at making money. They became quiet captains of industry in banking, jewelry, media and movies. None of which could save them during WWII when six million or so were killed by Hitler. This after an unknown number were killed by Lenin and Stalin during the formation of the USSR.

After the war the United States and United Kingdom worked together to provide a small strip of land that was considered the birthplace of Judaism. A desert with little water or vegetation, no oil resources or minerals of any sort. Surrounded by enemies with hostile intent the country of Israel was founded in 1947 as the homeland for Jews worldwide so that they could somehow protect themselves from the future Hitlers, Lenins and Pharaohs of the future.

Curious when discussing this in polite society that if this history is listed as to why we need to continue supporting the protection of Jews there is always a ‘yes but’ somewhere in the discussion. You say something to the effect, you know, ‘from the river to the sea’ is a statement of genocide and a person ill answer yes but the Jews did steal their land. Or some such nonsense of justification without sounding like support. And therein lies the big problem.

Too many of us Christians talk in terms of qualified support. The yes buts are all too common. It goes something like, oh boy, that massacre on October 7th was horrific, but those jews brought it on themselves. I find this so offensive. But more and more people led by governments at all levels, police and media are saying things like this in words and more importantly in actions. Coining terms like ‘radical Islam’ and ‘Islamophobia’, minimize the groups attacking Jews and marginalize legitimate response. Oh the protestors are just a fringe of folks who are muslim in our countries. Calling them out for hatred is racism at its most basic.

Stating that a core principle of Islam is problematic is no different than calling out core principles of Christianity. Except that here in the politically correct world that has become the west common sense and truth are not allowed. Saying these things out loud gains public condemnation and potential legal peril. Our governments have failed to protect us as is witnessed by the latest human carnage on the beach in Sydney Australia. Witnessed as well by the lack of police intervention in protests against Christmas markets in Montreal and throughout Europe.

Because our complicity in not calling out the hatred against the Jews only emboldens the haters. And they have expanded their targets over the past decade to include Christians as well. We are all under siege now and our governments not only refuse to acknowledge we need protection, they actively support the those attacking us. It needs to stop, but there is no quick fix for this. We are so conditioned from 60 years of the insinuation of political correctness into the lexicon of society few are willing to even say anything.

I do not have answers here only the suggestion that during this time of family and spiritual celebration whatever that is, a reasonable conversation is had around the table that is supportive of of Judaism and Christianity without the yes buts.