Jewish Heroism

There is an article by Rabbi Naphtali Hoff in this week's Jewish Press on the topic of heroism and Chanukah. There is a quote from Ariel Sharon regarding heroism and the Holocaust:

The heroism of the Jewish mother hugging her children close in their final hour, the heroism of the father who risked his life to find a lone piece of bread for his son, the heroism of those who helped their fellows in conditions of hard labor and freezing temperatures, the heroism of those who comforted a dying friend, the heroism of those who conquered despair in the death camps, the heroism of those who preserved Jewish tradition and held a Passover Seder while hiding in the ruins of the ghetto..

Rabbi Hoff concludes:

While we certainly acknowledge the Maccabees’ strength, courage and fortitude, it would be disgraceful to reduce their legacy to the fleeting glory of physical prowess and military might. Had Chanukah been about that alone, it would have soon faded far into our distant past, together with many other military successes in Jewish history.

What has secured Chanukah’s eternal place among our people is its emphasis on the Jews’ indomitable spirit.

May we see miracles "today, just as in those days". Happy Chanukah to all !