Palestinians and Jesus: A Very Jewish Voice for Peace Hanukkah

Hanukkah is coming up. Its the first war fought for religious self-determination-a  celebration of light over darkness- of right  over might.  The tiny band of Maccabees fought to achieve religious self-determination from the Greeks, who had plundered and desecrated our holy Temple. Ultimately, the Maccabees triumphed over the strongest army in the world, and our Temple was rededicated.

At its core Hanukkah represents the struggle to remain Jewish in a non-Jewish world, a struggle we still face even today.

For 8 days we light candles, to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness.

This poses a quandary for  the "proud to be ashamed to be Jewish" folk at Jewish voice for Peace.  The Syrian-Greek ruler Antiochus  took control of our land in 170 C.E.  To celebrate Hanukkah would be to acknowledge an ancient Jewish  presence in the land.  Whats an anti-Zionist to do?  

This, apparently.

From Jewish Voice for Peace

Join your favorite rad Jewish friends to celebrate liberation and maybe learn a little?

We'll light Shabbat AND Hanukkah candles, eat latkes and sufganiyot, talk about how we could reclaim the Hanukkah story for justice in Israel-Palestine. Also maybe we could talk about Jesus, another rad Jew that gets celebrated this time of year.

There you have it.  Latkes and donuts and Jesus.  A very Jewish Voice for Peace Hanukkah.

UPDATE

JVP Rabbi Lynn Gottleib has written the Jewish people out of the Hannukah story. After all, having Jews fighting for autonomy and religious freedom in the Holy land  over 2,000 years ago is in direct opposition to the Palestinian narrative.