Sinai Temple recently hosted Montana Tucker, acclaimed singer, songwriter, dancer, and proud Israel activist. The granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Montana uses her large social media platform (14 million followers) to share their story and combat antisemitism in ways that are impactful and accessible.
And then October 7th happened.
She explained to our congregation that she could hear her grandfather in her mind. There was no other choice but to put her entire being into fighting anti-Zionism and find ways to dispel myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes.
Through conversations with people of all ages and creative, brilliant dance videos that tell the stories of October 7th, and a heartbreaking documentary that reveals the testimonies of Israeli children (The Children of October 7th), she designs an environment in which a person can’t help but say, “Tell me more.”
The letters on the dreidel are the same in Israel as the Diaspora, except one. In the Diaspora, the letters convey the phrase, “A great miracle happened there.” Meaning, the miracle of Hannukah happened in Israel. In Israel, the letters convey the phrase, “A great miracle happened here.” I see the dreidels in the Diaspora as a challenge. We must work together here to ensure that miracles happen there. Montana is a living embodiment of a miracle maker.
Let’s follow her example. May our actions and words enable us to see miracles there. May this Hannukah in Israel be filled with victory, light, and an abundance of miracles.
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
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