Weekly Letter: Public Menorah, The Answers to The Naysayers

As we prepare for Chanukah we present a letter of the Rebbe explaining the position of Lubavitch in answer to those objecting to the public menorah lighting campaign of Chabad. The Rebbe lists the advantages of the public menorah lighting and dispels some false assumptions about it.

By the Grace of G-d

8^th of Shevat, 5745

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Pres. American Jewish Committee

New York, N.Y. 10028

Greeting and Blessing:

This is to acknowledge your letter in which you outline your objections to the display of Chanukah menorahs on public land, urging us to reconsider our movement’s policy.

In reply, I will likewise outline our position of this subject matter.

By way of a prefatory remark:

I trust we are both of the same belief that all American citizens and citizens’ groups and organizations have equal right to feely express their opinions and convictions. In a pluralistic society such as the American, with a variety of religious denominations and ethnic groups – each such group, through its organizations, endeavors to preserve and promote it s particular cultural and other interests.

Similarly, one would expect and organization that has the component “Jewish” in its official name to be dedicated to the Jewish interest. Any activity that is not directly connected with the Jewish interest is extraneous to the true aims and purpose of a Jewish organization and has no claim on its resources. 

This surely applies also to the American Jewish Congress, as the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations and all other organizations speaking on behalf of Jews and Jewishness, each concentrating on the particular aspect of Jewishness it represents. So is our Chabad-Lubavitch movement dedicated to promoting Torah-true Yiddishkeit, permeated with Chasidic warmth and love towards all our Jewish brethren, without exception. (I need hardly add that we regard as our Jewish brethren anyone born of a Jewish mother or who has embraced Judaism according to halacha.)

1. I trust that you will also agree that there is hardly any child or adult in the U.S.A. who does not know about x-mas and New Year’s Day, or why the post office, banks etc., are closed on these days. Therefore, a public display of a crèche and the like does not add any knowledge to the viewer or passer-by. Nor is its purpose to disseminate any such knowledge.

It is quite different in the case of the Chanukah menorah. To our sorrow and shame, there are tens of thousands of Jews in the U.S.A. who have no knowledge whatever of their Jewish identity, who know nothing about our major (so-called, High) Holidays, not to mention the so-called “minor” holidays of Chanukah and Purim. The purpose – and only purpose – of the Chanukah menorah is, therefore, to bring to their attention that there is such a thing as a Jewish holiday called Chanukah, which is observed by, among other things, lighting the menorah each night of the eight nights of Chaukah, starting with one light and increasing the number to eight; and that it has a meaningful and eternal message, historically and contemporarily – a message every Jew can be proud of.

2. Moreover, lighting the menorah in a public place, with the consent, indeed, with the assistance, of the authorities – federal, state, county or village – is also a tribute and credit to the American way, which gives free expression to any and all of the various religious denominations and to practice their religion openly and freely, not, as in some less fortunate countries, where to this very day, no such religious freedom is allowed, much less encouraged. This too is something of which every American can justly be proud of and every Jew justly grateful to Ha’Shem.
3. Experience has shown that the Chanukah menorah has had a salutary, often even catalytic,  effect on countless Jews to move towards an identification, or closer identification, with their Jewish people and Jewish heritage.

Thus, if in the first year or two of lighting the menorahs there may have been any doubt about the practical benefit of this “display,” no such doubts can be entertained at all any more, seeing the widespread positive and enthusiastic response from concerned Jews of various walks of life and, furthermore, seeing the thousands upon thousands of Jews in whom the Chanukah menorah has kindled the “spark” of Jewishness that had been well nigh totally eclipsed through the lack of exposure to any Jewish experience, and whose life had been completely empty of anything Jewish – through no fault of theirs. It can truly be said that the Chanukah menorahs have brought a new light into their lives.

4. In light of the above,  there is no logical basis for comparing the Chanukah menorahs to crèches or similar displays, much less to the idea of running a competitive race with or counteracting, every municipal crèche and the like, as you suggest. Nothing could be further removed from reality than the idea of such motivation behind the Chanukah menorahs.
5. As for the constitutionality of the Chanukah menorahs on public property – surely you can rely on the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as on the authority of the present and previous Presidents of the U.S., who either personally participated in the ceremony of lighting a Chanukah menorah or sanctioned it, as well as on the authority of the various governors and mayors in all parts of the U.S.A. who welcomed it.

Nor do I think it is the primary duty of the American Jewish Committee or any other national or local Jewish organization, to defend the Constitution of the U.S.A., for which purpose there are specific organizations, whose explicit aim and purpose is just that.

Surely the energy and money that is expended on the defense of the U.S.A. Constitution by the A.J.C. and other Jewish organizations would be better spent on Jewish  causes, such as supporting Jewish education, to mention one, so that it would not be necessary to remind Jews about Chanukah through the menorahs in public places, there being no other  way to send them a personal message to this effect. 

6. Much more could be, and ought to be, said on the subject matter at hand. However, it being our firs exchange of correspondence, I do not wish to put it under the mark of recrimination and the like. 

I must, however, take strong exception to your using such expressions as “unprincipled” and “opportunistic” which, with all due respect, I found quite incredible coming form a person in your position. Deep felt, sincere concern for the immediate   and long term vital Jewish interests and benefits hardly deserves to be characterized by those epithets.

I must also question your categorical assertions expressed in your letter several times, in various forms, such as “near-unanimous view,” “entire Jewish community,”  “Jewish consensus,”  “of one mind,” etc. I do not know who gave you such misinformation, which is entirely at variance with several factual aspects mentioned in your letter. Surely it is common knowledge that Lubavitch is not “the one conspicuous exception,” and that many Orthodox Jewish groups share the Lubavitch approach.

In conclusion, to paraphrase or use your expressions, I certainly agree that “American Jews have always insisted on equality, not tolerance.” But I wish that, like all good things, it would begin and be more fully and consistently practiced at home. 

I also wish that every Jewish child would be given equal opportunity to become acquainted with his or her Jewish heritage, as with their American heritage. 

And again, to use your expression, I urge you to reconsider your position not only on the issue of the  Chanukah menorahs, but also the whole range of topics, some of which have been mentioned here in passing.

I trust you will accept my remarks in the spirit they have been made.

                                                          With blessing,