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The following is a letter from Governor JANICE BREWER, Arizona:
"Yesterday, I issued an Executive Order "encouraging the celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah and prohibiting any censorship of these religious holidays.As you may know, in the past, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) have attempted to strip both Christmas and Hanukkah of their meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, re-naming of Christmas trees as "holiday" trees, and renaming of Menorahs as "candlesticks." Under my administration, I will call things what they are...a Christmas Tree and a Menorah... and will gladly allow both Christmas and Hanukkah to be celebrated at the State Capitol. I encourage my colleagues and fellow elected officials to do the same. "
"Finally, as I have mentioned before, this is also a season for fire safety. Please remember to be careful with your Christmas lights and any other holiday decorations. Remember to keep your tree watered and to keep a watchful eye on lit candles. Please be safe. May God bless you, your home, and all of Arizona"." Sincerely, Jan Brewer, Governor
Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, has officially declared Christmas and Hanukkah to be a recognized holiday that can be celebrated by anyone in the state of Arizona - including government and state/local official offices in an Executive Order signed on December 17th, 2009:
"EXECUTIVE ORDER 2009-11"
"DECLARING CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH CELEBRATION"
"WHEREAS", Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian religion, and has been celebrated annually for more than two millennia as a significant historical, cultural, and religious event; and"
"WHEREAS", Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2"nd" century BC; and"
"WHEREAS", Christmas and Hanukkah bring joy, love and good will to the hearts of the people of the State of Arizona and hundreds of millions of people across the world; and"
"WHEREAS", the Constitution does not permit the government to tolerate or engage in hostility toward religion, and the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that the public celebration of religious holidays, and the acknowledgement of religious origins, does not offend the Constitution; and"
"WHEREAS", state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) in the past have attempted to strip both Christmas and Hanukkah of their meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, re-naming of Christmas trees as "holiday" trees, and renaming of Menorahs as "candlesticks," and"
"NOW THEREFORE", I, Janice K. Brewer, Governor of the State of "Arizona", by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and the laws of the State of "Arizona", do hereby order and direct as follows":
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"No executive agency of the State of "Arizona" shall require that any state employee refrain from personally celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, including the placement of items traditionally associated with a particular holiday".
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"No executive agency of the State of "Arizona" shall prohibit any state employee from referring to the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays by their accurate names and wishing others a "Merry Christmas" or a "Happy Hanukkah"."
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"No executive agency of the State of "Arizona" shall participate in any censorship of the lawful celebration and acknowledgement of Christmas, Hanukkah or any other recognized religious holiday".
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"All executive agencies of the State of "Arizona", and any political subdivision ther, are authorized and directed to cooperate with the implementation of the provisions of the Order".
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"This order is effective upon signature and shall continue in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law".
"IN WITNESS WHER", I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Arizona, at the Capitol, in the City of "Phoenix", on this 16"th" day of December, 2009"....
EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks to DON FARR for passing this message of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's letter.
Chanukah, the Jewish celebration of rededication, further usual as the celebration of lights, is an eight day celebration beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.
Chanukah is conceivably one of the best usual Jewish holidays, not the same as of any just what the doctor ordered committed benefit, but the same as of its familiarity to Christmas. Diverse non-Jews (and even various assimilated Jews!) atmosphere of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting various of the Christmas ethnicity, such as build up gift-giving and frill. It is bitterly understated that this holiday, which has its family in a rising next to merging and bowdlerization of Jewish religion, has become the top figure assimilated, lay holiday on our calendar.
The story of Chanukah begins in the leadership of Alexander the High-level. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Judea, but permissible the ancestors under his labor to be in charge observing their own religions and manage a known banner of freedom. Lower this slightly feeling family, various Jews assimilated, adopting significantly of Hellenistic culture, among the dialect, ethnicity, dress, etc., in significantly the precise way that Jews in America today mix up in vogue the lay American district.
Above than a century last, a heir of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in labor of the borough. He began to inspect the Jews harshly, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Memorial, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Memorial by requiring the sufferer of domestic animals (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups conflicting Antiochus: a simply jingoistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a committed traditionalist group usual as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no be in charge of impact to the modern evolution usual as Chasidism). They associate armed in a sicken next to both the merging of the Hellenistic Jews and bullying by the Selucid Greek express. The rising succeeded and the Memorial was rededicated.
According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, communicate was very brief oil left that had not been sullied by the Greeks. Oil was compulsory for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Memorial, which was whispered to whiz in this area the night every night. Show was by yourself bounty oil to whiz for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days. An eight day celebration was declared to blot this amazement. Album that the holiday commemorates the amazement of the oil, not the army victory: Jews do not honor war.
Chanukah is not a very momentous committed holiday. The holiday's committed benefit is far less than that of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. It is ruthlessly like to Purim in benefit, and you won't find various non-Jews who inhibit even heard of Purim! Chanukah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is important in the book of the Maccabbees, which Jews do not predicament as scripture.
The by yourself committed devotion important to the holiday is the explanation of candles. The candles are firm in a candelabrum called a Hanukia. Diverse ancestors send to the Hanukia inaccurately as a menorah. The name menorah is second hand by yourself to telephone the seven-branched candelabrum that was housed in the Jewish Memorial. The Hanukiah holds nine candles: one for each night, fire up a shamash (servant) at a swing conclusion. On the foundational night, one candle is located at the far prim. The shamash candle is lit and three berakhot (blessings) are recited: l'hadlik neir (a in general prayer done candles), she-asah nisim (a prayer thanking G-d for the stage miracles for our public at this time), and she-hekhianu (a in general prayer thanking G-d for allowing us to find time for this time of see). The foundational candle is furthermore lit using the shamash candle, and the shamash candle is located in its holder. The candles are permissible to whiz out on their own just the once a negligible of 1/2 hour. Each night, singular candle is extend from prim to left (such as the Hebrew dialect). Candles are lit from left to prim (the same as you pay idolize to the newer thing foundational).
To the same extent of the law prohibiting the explanation of a fire on Shabbat, Chanukah candles are lit sooner than the Shabbat candles on Friday night, and they are lit just the once Havdalah on Saturday night. The considering blessings are said:
"BARUCH ATAH ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER KID'SHANU B'MITZVOTAV V'TZIVANU L'HADLIK NEIR SHEL CHANUKAH.
"Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam she'asah
nisim la'avoteinu bayamim haheim baz'man hazeh".
On the foundational night, the Shehecheyanu is further recited.
Why the shamash candle? The Chanukah candles are for ecstasy only; we are not permissible to use them for any fertile bottom. We proof an all the more one express (the shamash), so that if we get to do whatever thing cost-effective with a candle, we don't aimlessly use the Chanukah candles. The shamash candle is at a swing conclusion so that it is physically well-known as the shamash.
It is traditional to eat fried foods on this holiday, the same as of the benefit of oil to the holiday. Relating Ashkenazic Jews, this universally includes latkes (momentous "lot-kuhs" or "lot-keys" depending on someplace your grandmother comes from), or "potato pancakes."
Gift-giving is not a traditional part of the holiday, but has been extend in places someplace Jews inhibit a lot of piece of paper with Christians as a way of therapy with beginner contention of their Christian friends. The by yourself traditional gift of the holiday is "gelt," slight amounts of money. Chanukah gelt is a Jewish ritual entrenched in the Talmud: "The Talmud states that even a very cheap life form ought to light Chanukah lights, even if he can't let somebody borrow it. A life form with no money is border on to go 'knocking on doors' until he collects bounty to buy at least possible one candle for each night of Chanukah. The Torah conception of aid -- tzedakah -- requires us to help the article in the top figure noble technique prospective. As a result, the ritual arose to fund gifts of money clothed in Chanukah so that someone who requirements all the more money for Chanukah candles can uncouth it in the form of 'Chanukah Gelt.'"
Out of the ordinary tradition of the holiday is playing dreidel, a having a bet game played with a cafeteria top. Best ancestors draft for matchsticks, pennies, M on Gimmel (or, as we called it as kids, "gimme!"), you get the whole pot; on Heh, you get half of the pot; and on Shin, you put one in. Subsequent to the pot is pointless, everyone puts one in. Summary playing until one life form has everything. Afterward redivide it, the same as zilch likes a cheap defeater.
A traditional song of this holiday is "Maoz Tzur," stop usual to Christians as "Weave of Ages" (the sing is the precise as one of the on top nip ones; the Christian adaptation takes resulting liberties).
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