#37: Hanukkah, Interfaith, and the Israeli Psyche

Episode 37 December 01, 2021 00:42:13
#37: Hanukkah, Interfaith, and the Israeli Psyche
For Heaven's Sake (OLD FEED)
#37: Hanukkah, Interfaith, and the Israeli Psyche

Dec 01 2021 | 00:42:13

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Show Notes

What happens when an ancient holiday is rebranded for modern audiences?

For Israelis, Hanukkah was reinvented as a celebration of Jewish heroism, of our ability to persevere against overwhelming threats, with the Maccabean warrior as the precursor to the IDF. In contrast, in North America Hanukkah has been rebranded as a universal battle against religious suppression, with the Hanukah lights as beacons for interfaith ecumenism and religious tolerance. What does this dichotomy say about the two largest Jewish communities in the world?

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