Clergy Sermons

Chanukkah – Women Heroes

Chanukkah is in 20 days.  It is time to get ready – not in terms of gifts – but how to make it a holiday of meaning. Sit with that.  Make every night a time to reflect and act on the meaning – courage, standing up for your identity, the few against the many, bringing light.

So let me share  an esoteric Chanukkah custom:  When the candles are lit – there is a tradition that women are not supposed to work.  No dishes. No cleaning. No tending to homework. Nothing! No gender roles have changes and the law might not be applicable in the same way today – but the message about the role of women is important. Women were crucial to the Chanukkah story and the victory of the Maccabees – the law reminds us to lift up the stories of ALL the heroes.

Who are those women?  Let me tell you the story of one named Judith.  Some of you may know her from art – but not realize it is part of the Chanukkah story. I don’t want to ruin the story by telling you what is in the famous painting – we will come back to that soon.  We don’t know the Judith’s story from classical Jewish sources – the Bible.  It is in a body of texts known as the Apocrypha – books not included in the canon (including the book of Maccabees) – but preserved in Catholic and other Christian sects sacred texts.  Thank goodness for the apocrypha! I has preserved important stories.

Here’s the story: Judith was a beautiful Jewish widow who single-handedly comes up with and implements a plan to end a major military siege of the town of Bethulia.  At the time, things were not looking good – the general Holofernes had conquered lots of territory. His army was strong.  What could we do?  Judith acts.  First she talks her way into the enemy camp, wins the trust of the Holofernes who invites her to a banquet. She plies him with fried food and wine and – ultimately he can hardly stand.  She takes him back to his tent,  they were left alone with Holofernes in a drunken stupor. . Like a pious person – Judith prays for God's help – then takes his took his sword and decapitates him. Those are the famous paintings – Judith with Holofernes head.  The army is thrown into confusion, she urged the Israelites to launch a surprise attack; they emerged victorious.  And there are other women associated with the story of the Maccabean victory. Chanukkah is about the difference people who were overwhelmed by odds against them – found ways to succeed.  We hold onto stories of bravery and people who made a difference as we seek to find our own ways to be inspired to act.

On Chanukkah, tell the stories of heroic women – Jewish and non-Jewish – whose courage has helped change the course of history.  I learned the story of a modern day Judith a couple weeks ago at the Z3 conference from a presentation of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.  His overall message was that after October 7 we need to face our colossal failures in terms of the fundamental mission to prevent Israel from pogroms.  We need to look at things square in the eye. A piece of the Maccabee story is subsequent failure by the Maccabees. It’s why the Rabbis emphasize the miracle of oil lasting rather than celebrating military victory. We must be clear-eyed about failure so that we can learn.  And then former Prime Minister Bennet October 7 and revealed a remarkable rise of nation of ordinary people who came together.  That is another part of the deeper story of Chanukkah – everyone uniting.  We discovered then and now that we are people and nation of lions. Thousands of Israelis got in cars and drove to Gaza envelope.  They knew something terrible was happening and went down with what they had and they fought terrorists and prevented bigger catastrophe.  Our instincts to run away from harm – but people went and those stories are emerging. Precious lives were saved – and tragically lost.  Prime Minister Bennett told of a story of a tank crew that was all women stationed on the Sinai border of Egypt – about 30 kilometers from Gaza invasion.  They heard the attack – but things were confusing and no orders came to go support the efforts to repel the attack. The tank commander unilaterally sped off to Gaza.  They came to a hole in the fence where terrorists were continuing to stream into Israel.  They blocked the way and fought through the day – killing dozen of terrorists and likely saving 2 -3 communities – hundreds of lives! Women like Judith are here amongst us!  He noted that he was one of the people who opposed women in combat roles and said before the conference: “I was wrong.”

This is the finest generation of young men and women.  We wrote them off as the Tik Tok generation.  Not so.  Devoted to a cause.  Knowing who they are – like the Maccabees their integrity and patriotism will inspire and carry us forward. Chanukkah is meant to instill hope.  Use story; activism; generosity to support hope and increase light.  As we tell the stories of this new and greatest generation - many aren’t military heroes like the women in the tank – they are stepping forward and doing what needs to be done: helping with childcare, farming – whatever the need is, the response is “Hineni – Here I am.”

Here's a gift to buy for Chanukkah: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s book with Nadine Epstein Brave and Brilliant Women, 33 stories of brave, Jewish women.  Tell a story a night, or have different people gathered on a particular night each share a story they love from the book.  Listen to the prologue. They lived in ancient times and in times nearer our own, in faraway lands and right here, and they each had different talents and interests. Whether of Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Middle Eastern or African descent, they were guided or shaped by Jewish beliefs or values.  Some were poor and self-taught; others were rich and were fortunate to receive a better education than most women of their era.  Some had families who understood and encouraged them; others had families who stood in their way. Some married and had children; others didn’t, some by choice.  Some had hard lives; others never personally suffered. Some lived to old age; others had lives tragically cut short by illness or the Holocaust and other cataclysms. Many faced antisemitism as well as gender discrimination. Some never saw themselves as torchbearers for other women; others were very conscious that they were trailblazers. A few were proud to be called “troublemakers.”  What they all have in common is that they transcended what was expected, allowed or tolerated for a woman of their time despite the obstacles. They achieved what was unimaginable, and the unimaginable led to the advancement of women and to changing the world for the better.  That is Chanukkah!

I would be remiss if I did not also mention incredible non-Jewish women heroines.  Go read Nicholas Kristoff’s column from Sunday’s paper Gift Ideas That Push Back the Darkness. You will be inspired by women who bring healing to endangered women, health care to remote places, literacy to those not privileged to have books.  There is so much light women bring into the world!

It gives me hope.  May we remember heroes. May we learn from them and continue their work. May Chanukkah light exude from us and touch others! Shabbat Shalom