Shafts of Light in this Season of Lights
This morning I awoke to a headline in my Macomb Daily that heaped more sadness upon what has been becoming a looming sense of hopelessness. The headline read, “Lawmaker extinguishes Hanukkah candles.” I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the worst. The story surprised me.
I am half Polish-American and half Ukrainian-American. I gasped as I digested the first sentence. “A far-right lawmaker in the Polish parliament on Tuesday (Dec. 12) extinguished candles on a menorah that was lit for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, creating disruption and scandal as a new pro-EU government was beginning its work.” — AP. Then something wonderful happened.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Szymon Holownia, took charge. He called the act “absolutely scandalous.”
The perpetrator, Grzegorz Braun, is a member of the pro-Russian Confederation Party. He has in the past falsely claimed there is a plot to turn Poland into a Jewish state. The Speaker excluded Braun from the day’s parliamentary session, and then expressed hope “he will not return soon.” Speaker Holownia went on to say he was reporting Braun to prosecutors. In addition, the parliament hit Braun with the highest possible financial penalty. He will lose half of three months of his salary and per diem for half a year. Then the Speaker proudly said that, “Poland is the home to all religions.” His leadership and swift denunciation of the act and of the maligner set the tone for others to raise their voices in opposition to antisemitism.
This antisemitic action interrupted the inaugural of Donald Tusk’s ascension to be Prime Minister. In his speech, the centrist Prime Minister strongly condemned the incident saying, “This is unacceptable, this must never happen again. This is a disgrace.” He went on to pledge the government would demand the Western world keep up its help for Ukraine and that Poland will be a stable ally to the United States and NATO.
The U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezjnski tweeted: “I am outraged by the nasty anti-Semitic act committed today by one of the Polish members of Parliament.”
Polish Cardinal Grzegorz Rys, following in the footsteps of Popes John Paul II and Francis, leads a committee for dialogue with Judaism.
“I am ashamed, and I apologize to the whole Jewish community in Poland,” he said.
Rabbi Shalom Ber Stambler led the Hanukkah ceremony as he has done for the past 17 years. Every year, members of the Jewish Community attend the menorah lighting in the parliament.
“It felt like Braun wanted to disrupt a day when many people were happy after Tusk was elected… Somebody was trying to destroy it, and I think the impact is the opposite. Now there will be even more awareness of how much tolerance is needed, how it is important,” Stambler was quoted in the AP report.
My wife Judy’s father was Jewish. During Hanukkah we usually have our two grandsons, Brady and Ben, over to our house to celebrate the holiday and to light the candles. On the sixth night of Hanukkah, we honor the six seasons and reimagine Hanukkah as a rededication of the earth, for the earth is the temple where we all live and serve. “Shamash” is the name of the lighter candle on the menorah. Hanukkah, which celebrates the miracle of the oil, can be interpreted as a time to honor the turning of the seasons and the light of the sun.
There is much darkness in the world today. Horrific wars, climatic disasters, and gun violence in our communities are examples where the darkness has fallen. But recently there have been miracles of light in Poland. The Polish people helped to rescue 13 million Ukrainians from the aggression of Putin and Russia. Some would say the second miracle in Poland occurred on Oct. 15 when Donald Tusk and his centrist party were elected to lead a coalition in their newly formed government.
The third Polish miracle was the resounding and quick condemnation of the antisemitic act of desecration which took place in the Polish temple of governance.
Perhaps these Polish beacons of light will illuminate a righteous path. I am hopeful in these sacred days that peace will come to Ukraine and the Middle East. For in Isaiah, it is written:
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us.
And the government shall rest on his shoulders.
And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6)
David Bonior is a retired Macomb County congressman who held office from 1977 through 2002, representing Michigan’s 10th District.