New Britain herald., 1927-12-17
JEWS TO OBSERVE
 FEAST OF LIGHTS
Hannukah Service to Be Ob- served Tomorrow Evening

iiaiilukdn, or The FeaSt of the
 IAshts,' as it is commonly known.
 Will be observed by Jewish residents
 u thls city, beginning tomorrow and
 continuing for seven days thereaf-
 ter. Iommorrow evening at 6 o'clock
 Inc Hannukah service will be held.
 py the Congregation Brethren Sons
 ol Israel, Rabbi Gershon Haddas de-
 HNering the address. The Sisterhood
 supper and reception will be held at
 o'clock and Rabbi F'eldman of
 Hartford will be the speaker of the
 evening. Sunday school will be held
 tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. On
 Ncdnesday afternoon at 2:3O o'clock
 me Slsterhood Hannukah party and
 bridge will be held. The hostesses
 Will be Mrs. David L. Nair, Mrs. Will
 liam kaplan, Mrs. Sydney Symons
 Mrs. Charles Glasz and Mrs. Gershon
 tladas. Mrs. M. Peyser has donated
 Aand-painted prizes for the winners.
 Rabbi Haddas gave an interesting explanation of The Feast of inc Lights in a statement today. Tho story of the origination of the cus- lohl, as given by him. is as follows.
 Anyone who has ever read the two books of the Maccabees. which form part Of the Apocrypha, will never forget the exciting story of the
 haccabean revolt against the Groo1, ] rule. That revolution is stirring to | this day because of the heroism there displayed; and thrilling be- cause of its implications and signifi- ! canoe in history of human freedom and the wondrous story of human | thought.
 Little Palestine, along with the rest of the world, had been con quered by the Greek general, Alex i ahaer the Great, whose chief inter- est lay in making the world as near " Greek as possible-the HelIeniza- llon Of the world. His conuuest along with his policy, were inherit ed by his Greek generals. After much warfare, Palestine was finally annexed by the Syrio-Greek king dom. For time all went well. de- spite the fact that the political rights of the Jew were greatly re- stricted.
 Early in the second century be- lore Christ. the notorious Antiochus IV. surnamed Epiphanes (God Man. 1iesD, ascended the throne and, forthwith, difficulties arose. Anti ochus began to deprive the Jews of every Vestige of political freedom. there was resentment. of course, but ih the main Antiochus succeeded. Tho people accepted as inevitably, the tyranny of "the mad king"
 But Antiochus was not yet satis- ned. He was determined to force upon the Jew the social and re- ligleus life of the Greeks. Especial " did he demand that he. himself, be Worshipped as a deity just as all ms other subjects vorshipped him. ,, l ls patience of the Jew then chang , ad into angry and bitter resentment. :. The masses were ready to resist to :, the end any infringements of pagan ., ism into their midst. % !
 Matters came to a crisis when :. Antlochus set up pagan altars in taIeStinian cities and ordered the people to participate in unholy rites. An aged priest Mattathias. and his lFe sons set up a rebellion that ihally drove the Greeks and their >ag9nism from Palestine. Like the 'urltans In England centuries later he Jews went into battle with a prayer on their lips and with the bought of God in their hearts"
 The Greeks had detiled the tenn ! q 'le in Jerusalem by idolatrous wor T 'hlp and the very first thought of , ne JeWlSh leaders was the recon- C ;ecrSticn Of the Sanctuary. This 1 vas done in December, 165 B. C, It , s to commemorate this event that S he Jew is to this day celebrating Iannukah tdcdication). The festi- I al lasts for eight days, in accord V With the tradition that when the |, acred lamp in the temple was about " o be rekindied, only a small flash s # oil undetiled by the idolators, |, oulu be found. It seemed sufficient ,, or only single night, but it mirac- lously lasted for eight night. o
 This legend in connection with he Maccabean revolt is, for the Jew, r Of his history and destiny. l iere is a nation which has hardly nJoyed a century of peace and se- urity throughout its long history; N 'hich has been homeless for more T, han eighteen hundred years: which T, as endured every persecution " noWn 10 man, and which has, nev- survived and preserved its " lo1tity and is today more numerous b, nd Influential in the affairs of the ia orld than ever before. This, for le Jew at least, is the miracle of tc