HOLIDAY SPECIAL
University Daily Kansan/Friday, December 9, 1988
3B
Celebrating Hanukkah, Cassandra Mertz, Chicago junior, lights a menorah.
Jews worldwide celebrate festival
By Mark Fagan Kansan staff writer
While Christians anxiously await the coming Christmas Day, KU's Jewish community already has been celebrating its own religious holiday
Hanukkah began at sundown Saturday and will continue through sundown Sunday.
Morris Margolies, adjunct professor of history and rabbi emeritus of the Beth Shalom Congregation in Kansas City, Mo., said that Hanukkah kashua was an important date, historically, on the Hebrew calendar.
"In terms of ritual it is not one of the more sacred, but in terms of historical impact on the Jewish people. I cannot think of a more sacred holiday," he said.
Hanukah, or the Jewish Feast of Lights, is an eight-day commemoration of the rededication of the Temple by the Macabees after their victory over the Syrians.
Margolies said the Syrians, led by King Antiochus IV, had taken over much of Judea and were dedicated to eliminating Judaism. Then Juda Macabbees led the Macabbees into the Temple, threw out the statue of Zeus and cleansed the Temple.
Margolies said the event had worldwide significance.
"If they didn't do this, there may have been no more Judaism," he said. "There may have been no Christianity. The Western world as we now know is not Jesus's world, there would be neither Judaism nor Christianity."
A legend later emerged, Margolies said. There only was enough oil to keep the Temple lighted for one day. According to the legend, a miracle allowed the oil to last for eight days.
"So many people have substituted the legend for the fact," he said. "The fact is, people need to remember the historical significance. Judaism would have died."
The present-day festival is celebrated at sundown each day with the lighting of the Menorah, or eight-branched candelabra. A new candle is lighted each night until all eight are
"It's a symbol of the great events in those days." Margolies said.
Families gather around the Menorah and sing chants as they prayers. Small gifts also are changed.
lighted at sunday Sunday, the end of Hanukkah.
Adam Bank. St. Louis junior, said the gift exchanging can be a financial strain. In a family of five, he finds himself buying presents for each person each day.
"I get a lot of free presents, but I also have to buy them a lot," he said. "It's kind of like you feel on Christmas, when you go out and buy everybody stuff."
Although he cannot be home with his family for this year's celebration, Bank said he had it good when it came to gifts. He's buying his own.
"Usually, I am at home scoring (presents)
every day," he said. "But now, I can just put it
down."
KU Hillel, a Jewish student organization at the University of Kansas, has presented several programs during the holiday, including a party Tuesday night.
Caring Institute honors 13 people
Awards stem from 3-year search
WASHINGTON — Thirteen people, ranging from businessmen to clergy to private citizens, were singled out this week as the most caring people of 1988, a group known as the Caring Institute announced.
The Associated Press
The awards, the first from the group, followed a three-year search, the group said. Subsequent awards will be made annually. Nominations were made by 20,000 people in the arts, business, media and politics.
Those chosen were Lowell Bartels, who established a group home for adults with developmental disabilities on a farm in Montana; Norbert Berg of Minneapolis, a human resources manager who created part-time jobs in poor areas and helped them find housing; founder of California Pools for the handicapped offering free pool services to the disabled:
Arthur Flemming, Washington, former secretary of health, education and welfare; J. Peter Grace, of W.R. Grace & Co., organizer of medical help in South America and the Middle East and volunteer service groups dealing with the homeless and those suffering from AIDS, Sister Mary Luca Junk, of Phoenix, who works with children in the barrio;
The awards, the first from the group, followed a three-year search. Subsequent awards will be made annually.
Henri Landwirth, owner of a group of hotels in central Florida, organizer of trips to Walt Disney World for children with terminal illnesses; Mary Lasker, New York, president of a foundation giving awards for outstanding contributions to medical research; Rita Sichaveon, Philadelphia, creator of a program to help insiprs-
Jerry and Sandy Tucker, Liberty, Ky., for work with orphanages in Latin America to bring children needing medical care to the United States; Rev. William Wendt, Washington, D.C., for civil rights activities and help to the downstrood; and Hattie Williams, Chicago, who donated her own home in a poor section of the city for use as a clearinghouse for food, clothes and furniture.
Group advocates spirit of giving at Christmas
The Associated Press
ELLENWOOD, Ga. — The 1988 "Alternatives" poster shows Santa and reindeer flying over the Holy Family and Child in the manger. A caption asks, "Whose Birthday Is It, Anway?"
"Alternatives," a campaign seeking to recover a Christ-centered Christmas and to protest its commercialization, this year has the backing of Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations across the country.
Milo Thornberry, director of "Alternatives", founded by various Christian groups in 1973, says it doesn't want people to reject the gift of gifting and celebration not on them as a "guilt trip" about it.
Rather, he says, it seeks to help them "restore perspective to a season that often degenerates into a religion-sanctioned orgy of self-indulgence."
"Alternatives," which distributes resource materials, rituals and Bible study guides, suggests such alternative activities as these:
Sponsoring agencies for 1988 are Detroit's Catholic Diocese and seven major Protestant denominations.
- Reducing time spent shopping and watching TV and using the time for Bible study and meditation.
Replacing the Santa tradition with that of St. Nicholas, patron saint who loved and cared for children.
■ More personal, thoughtful and values-center gift-giving instead of money-spending competitions to give "the best".
Giving a fourth of the holiday spending money to the needy, and reaching out to persons who otherwise would be alone at Christmas.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS ON THE HILL!
TIPS for a Worry-Free Holiday Vacation?
We're the LAWRENCE TENANTS ASSN,
and we are here to help you. If you have any
questions or problems please call 749-3697.
1) Notify Landlord of an absence of 7 days or more.
3) Turn down water heater.
2) Turn down heat to 55 degrees.
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He is the reason for the season
You are invited to a
Christmas Service
Date: Saturday Dec. 17, 1988
Time: 8 p.m.
Place: Danforth Chapel
Sponsored by Campus Christians
AΔΠ
MISTLETOE
MADNESS
12-11-88
We would like to thank the following houses for functioning with us this semester..
Sigma Nu Chi Omega
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Alpha Chi Omega Pi Beta Phi Alpha Omega Pi
—Alpha Delta Pi, we look forward to next semester---
*The Men of Alpha Epsilon Pi*
Sigma Psi
The Personnel Administration Fraternity would like to wish all students and faculty Happy Holidays!
SEASON'S GREETINGS
JOIN NOW FOR NEXT SEMESTER!
Happy Holidays The Men of Sigma Chi would like to wish all students and faculty Happy Holidays
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