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Article: HANUKKAH LIGHTS WAY TO OPEN RELIGIOUS DEBATE.(Editorial)(Editorial)
- Article from:
- Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
- Article date:
- December 7, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Daily News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Michael Gotlieb Local View
HANUKKAH is popularized by a rabbinic myth; a myth that embodies a story told of a container of oil miraculously lasting seven days beyond its expected use. The story appears in the Talmud, a human-authored document, filled with law and lore. But the primary message of Hanukkah has nothing to do with the myth of oil. If anything, the eight-day celebration serves to remind us - Jew and non-Jew alike - that religious identity is assured, and assimilation is halted, only when religion develops out of an environment based on open, intelligent discussion and conviction.
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