A Jew living in a hostile Arab country went out of his way to celebrate Hanukkah this week, despite the fear that he would be punished by the authorities.
The Jew, whose name Israel Hayom cannot disclose except for his first initial A., lives in a country that has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Despite some of his family members being killed in the past, presumably over their Jewish faith, he decided to celebrate the Jewish holiday and has even taken a photo of the traditional lighting of the candles on the menorah this week.
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The Orthodox Jewish outreach organization Yad L'Achim ("a hand for brothers") has been in contact with A. and met with his acquaintance in Israel.
"When A. approached us several months ago, to return to his Jewish roots and heritage despite his family living as crypto-Jews, we went on to look into his past and we realized just how dedicated this family has been over the years when it comes to holding on to the Jewish faith despite all the risks," the organization told Israel Hayom. "We were very excited to get the image of the menorah with the candles lit, showing how the Jewish flame burns all over the world; it shows that the Jewish spirit is eternal."
Meanwhile, in Israel, participants in the Birthright Israel program, which brings young Jews on a ten-day trip to Israel, celebrated Hanukkah in a special candle-lighting event.
Birthright Israel, also known as Taglit in Hebrew, brings Jewish youths from around the world to Israel free of charge. The tour is aimed at fostering a bond with the Jewish state and increasing awareness of Jewish identity. A number of Israeli students and soldiers usually join each group for a portion of the tour.
Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, who have provided hundreds of millions of dollars to the program over the years, took part in the event.
Dr. Adelson told the participants that they were "experiencing Israel, Judaism, and Zionism at their best." She went on to urge the participants to "cherish these experiences and protect them, and upon your return home, you will look at this experience as a great honor; you will continue to spread the light in keeping with Jewish tradition." She said she hoped "this journey will convince you to come back here soon, but until then, continue to make our people proud."
Dr. Miriam Adelson is the publisher of Israel Hayom. The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom.
