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Lights and Flames (December 2008)

Every light in our building was on. The warm light flowed through the glass doors of the social hall, and illuminated the trees; it shone from the clear glass story of the sanctuary, bright like a beacon. Every classroom, every office, every space was filled with light. When driving by, once couldn’t help but notice the beautiful, fully lit synagogue on Concord Road.

Yet our building was empty that evening; no one moved, no one spoke or laughed within its walls. There were no services, no classes, no programs – just our building, shining with light into the dark November night.

That night was November 9, the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass.” On that same night in 1938, hundreds of synagogues in Germany and Austria went up in flames, Jewish institutions and property were destroyed, and thousands of Jews were arrested, beaten, and sent to concentration camps. This modern pogrom is widely viewed as the beginning of the most murderous phase of the Nazi persecution of our people, the Holocaust.

Yet this year, synagogues all over Israel and the United States chose to commemorate this tragic night not with vigils or prayer services or lectures, but instead with the powerful symbol of light. Synagogues such as ours were brightly lit throughout the world; some were even illuminated with projectors. All night long, the lights burned brightly – not only recalling the flames inside the synagogues of Germany and Austria 70 year ago, but also vividly demonstrating the continual presence of our thriving Jewish people.  See us, the lights said to all who passed by, notice us – for we are still here, still building synagogues and creating communities.

During the month of December, there will also be nights filled with light, eight nights in fact. On those nights, it will be our homes that will be filled with light. The flames we will light will not be flames of destruction, but flames of celebration and hope. And just as the light shone forth from the windows of our synagogue on that night in November, so too with the light of our menorahs, our Chanukiot, shine forth as we place them in the windows of our homes. See us, the lights will say to all who will pass by, notice us – for we are still here, still celebrating the traditions of our people.

But the lights of Hannukah say much more. They speak of our ability to celebrate in peace and security; they speak of our ability to place our candles in the window without fear or danger; and they speak of a democracy where we and out neighbors are free to worship without pressure or persecution. Unlike the Jews of Germany and Austria, the flames in our communities are not flames of destruction, but symbols of freedom.

But we cannot forget that the flames of destruction still exist. After the election, on Nov. 5, a church in the Black community was burned down, and arson is suspected. A swastika was painted on a synagogue in Newton on Nov. 15. And in many places around the world, homes are still being burned down, people are still being killed, and communities are still being destroyed, by groups and governments fueled by racial, religious, and ethnic hatred.

The brightly burning lights of our synagogue on Nov. 9 reminded us that our nights of broken glass are over. The brightly burning lights of our Hannukah candles remind us that we enjoy freedom and security unparalleled in our people’s history. May the flames of the candles also remind us of our obligation, our sacred duty, to work towards a world where all can enjoy such freedom and security. May the flames inspire us to work with our government and our neighbors to address religious and racial prejudice in our midst. And may the flames help us envision a day when all synagogues, all places of worship, and all communities can be filled with light, and with hope.