(8) Yisroel Pollack, 11/12/2007
The Other Side of Hellenism
What you say is beautiful, as always. But isn't a little simplistic to say that the Greeks were all about bodily exhibition (or something to that effect)? I mean, aren't the ancient Greeks of that era also famous for their literary, cultural, and philosophical achievements, as in Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, etc.? I guess it just goes to show
that, for all its 'moral high-mindedness', pagan thought couldn't abide the pure truth emanating from the light of Torah. So it sought to vanquish it. But it was defeated instead; and we celebrate Chanuka.

(7) Anonymous, 10/12/2007
Great Talks! Keep up the good work.
Dear Lori,
I felt I must let you know that I have listened to several of your talks and they are really great -- short, to the point, nicely developed and inspiring. I am amazed at how much you are able to get across in such a short time. (3 minutes or so) Remarkable! Yasher Koach and Chazak U'baruch. From one Jew out there.

(6) Anonymous, 10/12/2007
I Love It!!
I love youre videos.... They are amazing... You cant stop doing them.. EVER!
WE LOVE YOU LORI>>>>
Happy Hanuka.
Jodesh Tov!

(5) Jacqueline Mamoni, 10/12/2007
Happy Channakah
As usual I love your posts Lori..

(4) Dvirah, 9/12/2007
We Still Keep Purim Also
Jews have been celebrating Hanukah for several hundred years before Chirstmas was invented. Of course any committed Jew - and there will always be at least 10% per total Jewish popultion of those - will celebrate Hanukah; and many other holidays that may or may not coincide with some other culture's. These are our combined memory: we will not forget.

(3) Yehoshua, 9/12/2007
Very ironic, indeed!
Many Jews would find it difficult to
identify with Hanukah if only they knew it was a religious war against any type of assimilation or any concession that the Torah is less than holy and devine. Indeed, Hanukah is grossly misinterpreted here in Israel also. Oh, what they do to these holy days in Haifa!
I guess the closest thing to the macabees today are the holy settlers in Yehudah, Shomron and what was Gush Katif. Come to think of it- Pesah and Purim are also misconstrued: Pesah is not the festival of freedom and liberty--for we are made servents in the end-- to G-d. And Purim is not Haloween! Instead it is an extremely holy holiday, even more so than Yom Kippur (that's what the Ari says), in that it sanctifies the creation spiritually AND physically. (Yom Kippur is spiritual sanctification, basically). It's worth checking all this out. If readers use the internet, be careful and sift through all the inaccurate and superficial information and nonsense to get at the real messages. This here site-Aish HaTorah- is probably a good place to inquire. Try also Erutz Meir. It's mostly Hebrew, but they've got an Engish page with lessons, also.

(2) Rosen, 9/12/2007
it takes one to a village of Jews not to give in
That's an important thing to remember about what the Maccabees fought for not to give into secular assimilation.

For the past two holiday seasons, it appears that missionaries are out and about asking anyone Jewish or otherwise about Christ and Christmas...I have almost never gave in to what the missionaries are trying to sell as their form of religion. Furthermore, I am determined not to intermarry either after learning so much on the resilience and wisdom of Judaism - it will always promote my religious/fundamental identity. Therefore, I will always be Jewish, as my family before and after me.

(1) Anonymous, 9/12/2007
The Special Olympics!
I agree that it's ironic to name an Olympic sports competition after the Maccabee's since one thing they fought against was the Greek idea of competition. The Greeks valued winning, holding that the intrinsic value of a person is measured by beating other people. Judaism does not look at winner/looser rather personal potential. Just like the oil that outlasted it's potential, we can compete with ourselves and fight against our own yetzer haras. And in the end, Hashem judges us based on our own efforts and if we try to grow, we will always win. Judaism is not like the Greek Olympics, where there is one winner and many losers, but rather, Judaism is like the Special Olympics where everyone wins!