Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Friday, December 8,1995 ?tT ^1 ^/l IATI 11 new traditions at pie will celebrate 1 iledicating lives to ommunity to celebi STEPHANIE SONNENFELD Features Editor Although Santa CI seems to have a monopoly on entire holiday season aroi December, USC stude shouldn't forget Hanukkah, Jewish Festival of Lights December 17 - December 25. Hanukkah, or Chanukal the Hebrew word for "reded tion," says Dr. Carl Evans i USC press release. Accordini Dr. Evans, associate profes and chairman of religious st ies at USC, Hanukkah comm orates the victory of Maccabees, a group of f Jewish brothers and their lowers, over the Syrians in B.C. and the reclaiming of Holy Temple. In both traditional and n traditional Jewish hom Hanukkah may be commemoi Christm MARTHA HOTOP Asst. News Edtor The tree stood in the c< room. The children spent Si noon stringing tinsel around hanging the lights. Orinam back as many as twenty-year fully hung on the branches. rni_ . i_ i _ i_! 1 ?i- x - -i ? ine punning ngnts aan the blue and red balls. A t ran beneath the tree, tooti every few seconds. Christmas. It is a time w around the world come togel brate and gives thanks. A Ch day, Christmas commerates Jesus, the Savior. Students i pus shared the various Chris tions they celebrate with theii Freshman Nancy Clark Christmas holiday with her ticipating in several churc Clark's mother plays the orga /OF ON mnd. Kwanzaa Vie holiday seabasic principles rate their faith. ed by lighting the h every night for eight nig This tradition ste aus the story that after t Temple was reclain and ready to be rededicate n*8 one small amount of was found to light the ? 18 the Mennrnh Arrni "Your Holiday Gu l? *s Chanukah" published C lca" LUBAVITCH, after t n a was lit, it stayed lit f S days as if a confirmati< 'S jF Power ?f faith. :\ia- jn addition to the li; em" Menorah, there are prayers for Hanukkah, }ve the "VA1 HaNissim" li the Amidah (Silent I 164 Thjg prayer is said evei t^ie ing, afternoon and evei after meals during Hai l0n" There is a reading fi es> Torah Scroll each Ha ratac trariii so they attend >rner of the offered during 1 inday after- earlier in the \ the tree and Christmas Day. ents dating "Christmas s were care- too bad that si with us, becaus ced gaily in said Clark, oy train set Other stud* ng its horn is special time bers. hen families Freshman ] ther to cele- especially look iristian holi- time with her f the birth of far away from t iround cam- The Chris jtmas tradi- friends coming "families. the neighborho spends the carols, family, par- In Greenvi h services, community on i n at church, community wit Hanukl P" I 1 p lenorah [hts. ms from ? he Holy Ewh^^ led and oliveoU "It's onl, a big lamps of cause it's reall rding to sents' because lide ? HABADhe lamp or eight . . >n of the morning in tl >nottne "Hallel," songs ghting of fomthe Psalm* sDecial Children ar such as Hanukkah gelt turgy in dreidel, a four >raver) top> is spun7S: Beverly Wilso ting and HI'1* USC's . nukkah. Organizational am tha ters <"> 'he Sid nukkah tha'8tand ,for, great miracle 1 Ions fil each of the five services the Christmas week: three veek, Christmas Eve, and is a family time, but it's le [Clark's mom] can't sit e she's playing the organ," snts agree that Christmas to be with family mem ;j ivaiiui a uiicvca saiu one ? ing forward to spending amily, since at USC, she's hem. tmas spirit is also and together and decorating od with lights, or singing ille, South Carolina one i lake decorates the whole h lights. The community cah highlights traditk \ TLHwe?,tH!:!?^^^^^^^W deal really in families with little Jewish kid V hard to tell a little kid 'no, you can't have I Santa Claus doesn't visit them." Beverly Wilson, Hillel pre he temple and [Israel]." of praise taken In some Jewish fami 5 of David. children and adults h e given tradition Hanukkah by giving gifts i (money) and the night of the holiday. -sided spinning "It's only a big deal rea According to families with little Jewish n, president of because it's really hard to Fewish Student little kid 'no, you can't have tere are four let- sents' because Santa C e of the dreidel doesn't visit them, " said Wi the phrase "A Hanukkah, like other Je lappened there holidays is a time of celebra led with light decorating began with one neighbor, who ? put up 2000 lights on a tree and created a start out of the lights. Since, then the C entire community joined in the effort. r Residents of Atlanta also kick off the n Christmas season with a celebration of lights. Each year, a giant tree is dis- v played and llit on Thanksgiving. Just q before the lighting of the tree, everyone ^ sings "0 Holy Night," and on the final note, the entire tree is lit up. Ail -l- J--J ? wnier students prepare lor ^ Christmas day by placing lighting candles in paper bags and lining their drive- * ways with these bags. There are two P meaning behind this tradition, depending ^ on who is explaining the tradition. Some people say that the lighted bags are sym- ^ bolic of the star that led the Three Wise Men to find Jesus at the Inn in n Bethleham. Other people believe that the b lit bags are supposed to light the way for - x ,..1] in, history of Jews T? noot VAQrc Willnl Koo Ko/i All |/UWV J VU1 tj y M. A111V1 11UO 11UU 1a Hanukkah party at the Alumni House for Jewish students, community members and faculty at USC. Due to the dates of the holiday this year, there won't be a party. Recently, Hanukkah, like many religious holidays, has taken on a commercial feel, in turn, also associating Hanukkah with (Jhnstmas. "There's been a tremendous outpouring of interfaith activity to try and bolster religions between the two groups [Judaism and Christianity]," Wilson said. "I feel that both Jews and Christianity went too far in finding things that are common." Wilson feels that Both groups associate holidays together because of the time they occur. But, Wilson contends, this is the farthest -hing from the truth. They may occur around the same dates, but they fflSm are essentially different, Wilson argues. _ l- "Because Jews focus so much on life and faith affirming pre- at regular times, Hanukkah just isn't the thing Christmas is. It's (Sjdent n?t the paramount Christmas is," Wilson said. Yet, synagogues around Columbia aren't letting Hanukkah pass by without get' ting some sort of message out. onor Temple Chabad-Lubavitch of every \yest Columbia is sponsoring then lighting of an 8-ft Menorah atfl iH^n Columbia Mall at 7:31) onfl J? December 23. On December 17,1 ^ a the congregation is holding sm Hanukkah pageant. For more| *auo information, call 782-1831. ilson. wish tion. Is, candles ianta Clause. Besides the sentiment aspects of th< /hristmas celebration, students als< ecall the tedious and sometimes funm aoments of trying to decorate. Freshman Emily Miller said tha /hen her family went to buy a rea Christmas tree, they couldn't find a tre< hat suited everyone. = "We wenting looking for a tree and i^ /as a time of family bonding," sai<3 filler. "However, my dad pointed to on<* ree and my sister and I disagreed. H< ointed to another and the same thinj appened. Eventually he just picked j ree; it had holes at the bottom and n< ranches at the top." As students recalled their Christma lemories they all agreed it is a time fcA eing with family and friends. '