Commentary

A Florida school district knows the truth about Shabbat. It is subversive.

What does an inflatable dinosaur holding a dreidel have to do with Chanukah? Some may scoff and argue, “Nothing. It’s just a sign of the Christmasification of Chanukah.” Others, however, may argue Nes-Gadol-Hayah-Sham-a-saurus certainly does publicize the miracle and therefore is the very essence of Chanukah.

The scholars says that it is the most hopeful verse in the Qur’an. Allah (SWT) acknowledges and addresses those who have excessed and tells them that, even if you have transgressed, do not despair His mercy. Just seek forgiveness with sincerity.

There is nostalgia. And there is memory. Sometimes the two intersect and the experience is transporting. For one evening, in the midst of mayhem and tragedy, I was transported to a better place and time – alone in New York, a seedy hotel and a sandwich with apple pie. That memory is a perfect seasonal gift.

On December 4, the second Sunday of Advent, the pastor of my congregation reminded us that this season is traditionally considered “a little Lent,” a time for penitence and lamentation. It is also a time of joyous expectation, as we look ahead to the birth of Jesus. This is certainly a paradox. We are asked to be simultaneously sorrowful and happy.

Thanks to a bipartisan vote that is soon to be signed into law by President Biden, my 40-year marriage will be safe in all states. No, I am not LGBT. I am a heterosexual Cherokee woman who happens to be married to a white man. And by white, I mean 100 percent Irish Welsh. The Respect for Marriage Act protects same sex marriage. It also, finally, protects interracial marriages.