When you are living in the only house in your street not illuminated at Christmastide
but on Hanukkah did not light a menorah,
it seems your shared identity with goyim—though you may be too polite to use the word—you have denied,
while of your Jewish one ignobly an ignorer.
In Israel many place menorahs, — more accurately — hanukkiyot, outside
their homes so that all passers-by can see
the lights some cover with clear glass in what become “glass houses,” choosing not to hide
what gives them all on Hanukkah great pride, Jewish identity.
Discussing Steven Spielberg’s movie “The Fabelmans” in the 12/16/22 NYT, (“Contemplating a Canon of Jewish American Films”) Esther Zuckerman writes:
Throughout his career Spielberg has constructed images that are synonymous with Americana — from Indiana Jones to suburban kids on bikes in “E.T.” In “The Fabelmans” he uses some of those same tricks. But the Fabelmans are not like every other all-American family. Their house is the only dark one on the block in New Jersey at Christmas time.
Gershon Hepner is a poet who has written over 25,000 poems on subjects ranging from music to literature, politics to Torah. He grew up in England and moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Using his varied interests and experiences, he has authored dozens of papers in medical and academic journals, and authored “Legal Friction: Law, Narrative, and Identity Politics in Biblical Israel.” He can be reached at gershonhepner@gmail.com.
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