Once again, our outdoor menorah lighting will take place at 7 PM, followed this evening by our monthly Poetry Garden meeting in the Social Hall. With that in mind, how about some Hanukkah poetry?
Here's one from 2013 that's quite exceptional, entitled The Black Miracle: A Hanukkah/Thanksgiving Poetry Slam:
And one from 70 years earlier, entitled Chanukah, 1943 - poem by Brenda Levy Tate:
And here's the write-up on this video:
Hélène Berr lived in Paris and actively resisted the Nazi invasion of her homeland. She attended the Sorbonne, played violin, fell in love and tried to make the best of her family's dire situation. Rather than trying to downplay her Jewish identity, she opted to wear her yellow star as a badge of pride in her heritage. Sadly, she was sent to Auschwitz in 1944 and died in the Bergen-Belsen camp only five days before the liberation. Her diary was retained by her fiance and passed on to her niece, who finally chose to publish it. In 2008, the newly-released journal touched and moved readers, causing Hélène Berr to be called "the French Anne Frank". I hope I have done justice to her memory. While this poem is not specifically about Ms. Berr, it was written in her honour to commemorate the experiences of many families in similar circumstances during that dark time.
On a lighter note for this Festival of Lights: Marcia Lawson recites her poem "Hanukkah Is No Jewish Christmas":
Happy Hanukkah, hope to see you this evening!
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