user: Q: Hanukkah lights the darkness in Ukraine

For countless numbers around the world on Dec. 13, especially in America, lighting the eighth and final Hanukkah candle and eating latkes have become routine features of the season, whether you are Jewish or not. But imagine if these activities, staples of the Jewish "Festival of Lights,"could provide respite from war and violence, displacement, and economic collapse? For thousands of Jews in Ukraine — who like their Christian neighbors are suffering through a protracted crisis with no end in sight — the annual Jewish holiday that recalls victory over adversity has become a symbol of resilience. The humanitarian toll of the conflict in Ukraine, long fallen from the headlines, includes displacement by the millions, thousands killed, widespread damage to property, sky-rocketing prices, and an economy in tatters. If you are among the most vulnerable, like the homebound elderly or the poor, you suffer doubly, living in fear, and wondering where your next meal or heating fuel will come from. And while aid in the form of food, clothing, medical care, and housing is critical to survival, people suffering the trauma of upheaval and conflict also need outlets to rejoice in their humanity and connect to their faith communities who often become a central address for relief in their times of need. Since the crisis began two years ago, the Jewish community of Ukraine, numbering an estimated 300-350,000 Jews, has come together not just to provide much-needed aid, but also to celebrate the Jewish holidays with bravery and gusto unmatched under such circumstances. They have been joined in this massive undertaking by my organization, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and other overseas Jewish and Christian aid groups -- the Jewish Federations, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, World Jewish Relief, and Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and the International Fellowship of Christians & Jews -- individual philanthropists, foundations, community leaders, and activists all seeking to ensure that life goes on even under duress. In the eastern Ukrainian cities of Lugansk and Donetsk, deep in the separatist-controlled region, hundreds of Jewish children and teens are lighting menorahs, learning about the Hanukkah story, and attending community parties and performances. Elderly Jews, who suffered under Communist oppression and, in some cases, Nazi barbarism, are taking part in a Hanukkah food fair where they will sample traditional holiday cuisine made by seniors at a Jewish social welfare center supported by my agency. For internally displaced Jews, numbering in the thousands, Hanukkah in their new homes has become a time to integrate into their surroundings and to take part in local holiday fare. Their plight is marked by the need for housing, jobs, and access to social services in unfamiliar surroundings. Many of them fled to cities where they had no connections, relatives, or friends and face concern by potential landlords or employers that they would one day return to the east. And yet from Odessa to Kharkov, they happily join Chabad's renowned public Hanukkah candle lightings that kick-off the holiday, attend Hanukkah cooking workshops and concerts at local Jewish Community Centers, and enthusiastically volunteer to run or organize cultural events and activities for the elderly. Especially touching for the displaced are holiday visits and the delivery of Hanukkah gifts by young Jewish volunteers in the southern Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Nikolaev. These brave, proud young people have turned 70 years of Soviet disdain for philanthropy and volunteerism on its head and are leading efforts to give back and better the lives of the neediest. The power of these wide-ranging celebrations among people facing terrible odds cannot be understated. And perhaps there is no better expression of the strength it offers them than this excerpt from the poetry of Boris Keselman, an 56-year old retired engineer-electrictian from Kiev who is, once again, participating in Hanukkah celebrations and activities in the capital city: "The Hanukkah candle is pure and hot, It may warm even a hut… The Hanukkah candle gives us its shine And our souls brighten up… The city on seven hills (Kiev), with grief in eyes, Has been bringing the candle For a long time…for centuries… And the light of this candle Will bring peace to Ukraine…" With another brutal winter setting in across Ukraine, may these words -- and ongoing efforts to address the human side of this crisis -- bring warmth to those who are freezing and light to the darkness.

Alan H. Gill is the CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).
What are the most important parts of this text?

A: For countless numbers around the world on Dec. 13, especially in America,  lighting the eighth and final Hanukkah candle and eating latkes have become routine features of the season, whether you are Jewish or not.


Q: Maine’s Caucus Confusion: One County Might Be Included After Saturday

The Maine Republican Party announced Feb. 11 that Mitt Romney had won the state’s caucuses by 194 votes.

In the days after the announcement, however, some problems began to emerge. Reports indicated that the state party had omitted numbers for places such as Waldo and Waterville. Rep. Ron Paul supporters complained about the decision not to count the results from Washington County, a rural county in the northeastern most part of the state, which had decided to delay its caucuses a week because of weather concerns.

After almost a week of pressure, the Maine GOP finally released a carefully worded announcement Thursday saying that the party was “reconfirming” the results of individual caucuses.

“We have worked diligently to contact town chairmen throughout Maine to reconfirm the results of their individual caucuses,” read the statement, put forth by Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster. “These totals, once confirmed, will be posted on the Maine Republican Party Website.”

Webster assured ABC News that the new numbers do not actually change the outcome; Romney still placed first in the state. “It doesn’t affect the total in a significant way,” Webster said. “The results are the same.”

The kerfuffle in Maine is just the latest in a series of caucus state missteps this election. They started in Iowa where some votes were lost and the party was forced to announce its results off an incomplete total. Rick Santorum was ultimately declared the winner, after originally placing second to Romney, although the true outcome will remain unknown.

Then came Nevada, where it took the party two days to tally all its results and finally announce who placed second, third and fourth in the Silver State.

The question of what will happen with Washington County’s caucuses, however, is going to remain lingering, at least for a couple of weeks. Webster told ABC News that the Republican State Committee will make a final ruling about whether it will include the Washington County results in the final caucus tally when the committee meets March 10.

The party’s Executive Committee, of which Webster is a member, has recommended that the Republican State Committee include the votes, but ultimately the State Committee will have the final say.

Paul needs a net increase of 195 votes to claim victory in the Pine Tree State. In 2008, Washington County cast a total of 113 votes. The Texas congressman took eight of them. But with all of the media attention surrounding the counties postponed caucuses, it is a distinct possibility that turnout will increase greatly this year.

If the results of Washington County change the outcome of the race, the timing of the decision regarding whether to actually include the county in the final tally will likely lessen the blow. That’s because March 10 falls after Super Tuesday- on March 6 – when10 states are scheduled to hold their voting contests and when the race will take a clearer shape.
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A:

assistant: Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo The Maine Republican Party announced Feb. 11 that Mitt Romney had won the state’s caucuses by 194 votes. In the days after the announcement, however, some problems began to emerge. Reports indicated that the state party had omitted numbers for places such as Waldo and Waterville. Rep. Ron Paul supporters complained about the decision not to count the results from Washington County, a rural county in the northeastern most part of the state, which had decided to delay its caucuses a week because of weather concerns. After almost a week of pressure, the Maine GOP finally released…