ACCA engages Jewish community - Chanukah event
On 20th November 2014, ACCA President Felix Lam together with many ethnic and community leaders, joined Premier Mike Baird and the Opposition Leader John Robertson MP in the celebration of Chanukah at State Parliament House. The event was organised by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and The Yeshiva Centre - Chabad NSW Headquarters and hosted by the President of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
What is Chanukah? A layman’s version of Chanukah is that 22 centuries ago a small band of Jewish brothers and friends called the Maccabees, fought a long war against the Greeks. The Maccabees eventually retook the temple in Jerusalem. Because the temple had been defiled, the Jewish troops had to purify that place by burning ritual oil into the temple’s menorah (or candelabra) for eight days. But they found only one day’s worth of oil in the temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days!
In the words of Mr Jeremy Spinak (President Jewish Board of Deputies), “the story of Chanukah does not focus on the wreckage … the war or suffering - it focuses on the good. That is why during a year where we have seen anti-Semitism.... anti-Jewish placards on the streets of Sydney...we, like the Maccabees, can still see what we are blessed to have…and the wonderful support and friendship from both sides of politics, from our interfaith friends, from our NGO colleagues and from many in the media…we can see how truly lucky we are to be living in NSW.”
ACCA, including the Chinese Australian Forum, have worked closely with the Jewish community for many years (such as Harmony Day, S18C Anti-Discrimination Act). ACCA as the leading Chinese community in NSW will continue to stand alongside the Jewish people as there are a range common issues that impact both communities.
Photos courtesy of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.