Wednesday night began the celebration of Hanukkah, commemorating the Maccabean victory over the Seleucid Empire. The Maccabees, a loosely organized group of Jewish rebels revolted against the anti Jewish edicts of Antiochus that forbade Jews from practicing Judaism in any form or fashion. Hanukkah celebrates the miraculous – this band of Jewish rebels defeated the Greco-Syrian army and reclaimed the Temple. The story is one of the first recorded accounts of victory over religious persecution and as such, Hanukkah stands as holiday for all people not just Jews.

Sadly, religious persecution still exists. As my friend and colleague Rabbi Sue Laikin Silberberg of Indiana University Hillel wrote, “It is ironic that as we begin our Hanukkah celebrations, anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head in Bloomington.  Last week a rock was thrown through a window at the Chabad House.  Over the Thanksgiving holiday, a rock was thrown through a window here at Hillel.  On Monday, sacred Hebrew books were thrown into the toilets on several different floors of the main IU Wells Library.  Yesterday (Tuesday) another rock was thrown through a window at the Chabad House and the glass case listing the Jewish Studies faculty was smashed in Goodbody Hall.” Rabbi Silberberg goes on to write, “While these acts are frightening and meant to intimidate, we can take great comfort in the fact that unlike the times of the Maccabees, the Indiana University and Bloomington community stand strongly in support of the Jewish community.  There has been an outpouring of concern about these acts and support for the Jewish community.  This type of behavior will NOT be tolerated on the IU campus or in Bloomington.”

This note affirms Butler Hillel’s support of IU Hillel, IU Chabad, and the Jewish community of Bloomington. We also stand with all who denounce acts of hatred, violence and bigotry. We ask that all who stand for freedom in all its forms stand with us and with our friends in Bloomington. May the light of freedom penetrate into all corners of the world, and lift the darkness of tyranny until tyranny is no more, so that all may be free.

-Rabbi Aaron Spiegel