Washington – Twin Chanukah messages about pidyon shvuyim and victory in the face of overwhelming odds came today from an unlikely source: President Barack Obama.
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Speaking today at a Chanukah reception in the East Room of the White House, the president spoke about today’s release of Alan Gross.
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“I’m told that in the Jewish tradition, one of the greatest mitzvahs is pidyon shvuyim,” said the President. “My Hebrew is not perfect, but I get points for trying. But it describes the redemption, the freeing of captives. And that’s what we’re celebrating today, because after being unjustly held in Cuba for more than five years, American Alan Gross is free.”
In an address peppered with Jewish cultural references, including latkes and lox, Obama spoke about Gross’s long captivity, the dedication of those who fought for his return and the fortuitous timing that brought Gross back to the United States this morning.
“He’s back where he belongs, in America, with his family, home for Hanukkah and I can’t think of a better way to mark this holiday,” noted the president.
Referencing the victory of the Maccabees so many years ago, Obama noted that the story of Chanukah has relevance even in modern times.
“The Hanukkah story teaches us that our light can shine brighter than we could ever imagine with faith and it’s up to us to provide that first spark,” observed the president.
The president continued his message about the power of hope by speaking about the recent arson that took place at Jerusalem’s Hand in Hand school, as previously reported on VIN News. Two classrooms were torched at the school, which has been uniting Jewish and Muslim children for over ten years, with anti-Arab sentiments spray painted onto the walls on November 29th.
Two ninth grade multi-cultural delegates from the school, Inbar Vardi and Mouran Ibrahim, flew in for today’s candle lighting ceremony, bringing with them a menorah that had been constructed in the aftermath of the arson attack.
“In the weeks that followed, they and their classmates could have succumbed to anger or cynicism, but instead, they built this menorah, one of four that we brought here from Israel this year,” remarked the president. “Each of its branches are dedicate to one of the value their school is founded on – values like community and dignity and equality and peace.”
There are great lessons to be learned from the students of Hand in Hand, who countered the hatred they faced with constructive activity, according to Obama.
“The light of hope must outlast the fires of hate,” said President Obama. “That’s what the Hanukkah story teaches us. That’s what our young people can teach us – that one act of faith can make a miracle. That love is stronger than hate. That peace can triumph over conflict. And during this Festival of Lights, let’s commit ourselves to making some small miracles ourselves and then sharing them with the world.”
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Hey Barak, Interested in “Pidyin Shiveim” Do you know a guy right under your nose named Jonathan Pollard?
I wonder if Obama would use a Moslim holiday as a platform for discussing Islamic terrorism. That would be taboo. But it’s perfectly acceptable to bring up a rare case of violence by Jews on Chanukah. Just squeeze it in under the guise of celebrating diversity
Additionally, that multicultural school is the antithesis of the meaning of Chanukah. It is about Jewish identity. It is not about watering down Judaism and assimilation.
This man gets more dispicable by the moment, using a celebration to scold Jews.
The first three comments illustrate yet again how deeply Obama Derangement Syndrome has affected the frum community. Here’s a president of the U.S. taking time to gather with Jews and speak highly of the Maccabees’ struggle, a president who just helped bring about the release of a Jew from Cuba, and all we hear is complaint and criticism, as well as turning his words on their ear to make it into something negative (really, commentator # 3, he “scolded the Jews”?). How far the derangement goes can be seen in the comment that Obama spoke publicly about Chanukah in order to highlight Jewish violence. Only an insane person would react in such a manner to Obama’s speech. As for the reference to Pollard, it’s far from cear cut that his case falls under the pidyon shvuim category. He’s a convicted spy. He wasn’t kidnapped or taken hostage because he’s a Jew.
hamas is now not a terorist organization, cuba will now become americas freind what next obama? wil you soon have a national police in this country wear armbands,???