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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 19, 2022

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Today I saw this Fox News article by Dennis Prager: Hanukkah made western civilization possible

Yes, but this article is historically absurd, and Dennis Prager is a mind-killed political ideologue. Hannukah is, historically, an incredibly minor festival in judaism. It only took off in the 50's in the U.S., when nice assimilated secular jews wanted their kids to have something to celebrate and get presents for while all the other kids were doing Christmas. The prominence of Hannukah today is entirely a product of Jews not being separate or apart from, or antagonistic to Christianity, but of them trying to blend in and become more like the secularized-Christianity of the American consumer religion.

For that reason, I would suggest not taking what Mr. Prager has to say too seriously.

The menorah lighting at the White House and Central Park does not have a secular purpose

It absolutely does - it affirms that Jews are a welcome part of the community, in the same way that the St. Patrick's Day parade did for the Irish and Columbus Day celebrations used to for the Italians. It's just not only that secular purpose, because the menorah is also a religious symbol for many jews. However, there are many assimilated, reform, and secular jews for whom the menorah does not have a special theological meaning, and who, when pressed, would say that the "miracle" is absolute hogwash.

Source: am half jewish, was raised jewish, but am non-practicing.