Chanukah

I just received a set of beautiful art posters that will soon be hanging in my office. Each is an artistic interpretation of a saying from a famous Jewish personality. My favorite of the set includes a compelling quotation by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "A Jew is asked to take a leap of action rather than a leap of faith." The story of Chanukah certainly illustrates that idea. Armed with both faith and fearlessness, the Maccabees took a stand against spiritual annihilation and acted to preserve the Jewish way of life threatened both by the Greeks themselves and the Hellenist followers of Greek mores. They leapt into action to ensure that Judaism and Jewish values survived untainted and that Jewish ritual could be restored in its full glory.

Within Judaism, there are numerous (perhaps even 613) ways to leap into action. Ritual serves as one form of action and interpersonal interactions are another form. At Akiba we provide our students with myriad hands-on experiences to teach that Judaism depends on active engagement and physical manifestations of our commitment to our heritage and to the Torah. We make "Judaism" an  action verb, in both the religious and social realms, so our children are ready to take magnificent leaps into their Jewish lives.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukkah!