(We came to drive away the darkness…)
By: Sergio Edelstein
We come to illuminate in Hanukkah, similarly to the way we do all year round, with the educational process of the tnua. We come to drive away the darkness, the ignorance, the intransigence and the injustice. The act of illuminating means to be open-minded and think. To think freely and critically. The light allowed the human being to seek a path, to search for meaning, to think and create. We turn on the light as educators, with the aim of being able to see and allow our participants to think as free people. To be enlightened. To think. To doubt.
The flame of wisdom lights up at Maamad Har Sinai (the Giving of the Ten
Commandments at Mount Sinai), and from that moment, our people bear the reasonability for transmitting and divulging it. Transmitting the universal values which are the light of a more just and solidary society, committed to the development of thinking of all humans. Our chanichim of Bnei Midbar, representing the passage from slavery to freedom, begin this educational process of transmission of values, contents and traditions.
The flame of revolt against the oppression evolves in the Galilee. The oppressors who pursued the elimination of our belief and humane message, attempted throughout a long period of our history, to make us change our values, beliefs and traditions. The Jewish people fought for our right to think freely. The Glilim are the ones who represent the flame of rebellion and our right to think and create freely. A juvenile, positive and selfless rebellion, dedicated to making society and the world a better place.
The center of attention of the Hashmonaim is the flame of transmission of the ideals for which we fight for, and their material representation in the Menorah – the main symbol of the millenary Jewish tradition and reason for continuity from generation to generation.
These chaverim, being the madrichim of the future generations of chanichim, are the ones who bear the responsibility for the continuity of ideals of freedom, justice, democracy, solidarity, truth, pluralism and peace. Seven branches which illuminate the idealist light, the symbol of our people.
The flame of mutual commitment. Similarly to the two candles we light in Shabat, the commitment to Israel and the diaspora, illuminates our way during the challenge of strengthening ourselves as people and ensuring the continuity of our values. The dedication to the idea of the State of Israel, as a flame illuminating the current Jewish identity, guides our educational work. The Canaim are the ones who illustrate our commitment to Israel, Zion and Yerushalayim as a millenary dream.
The flame of fulfillment guides the redemption of the Jewish people in its ancestral land. The flame that ignited the return of the Hebrew language as a national language, the possibility of living a Jewish life as a norm in a sovereign and free country, a home for every Jew who chooses it, The state of Israel.
Hanoar Hatzioni illuminates with its educational process, the path of personal
development of its chaverim, the molding of their personal and Jewish identity, the commitment to mutual responsibility among all the Jews in the world, and the commitment to the state of Israel.
Chag Urim Sameach!
