Happy Hanukkah, Be Careful

The calendar on my office wall has a note for today: Hanukkah begins Traffic, Civil and Small Claims, 3PM.  Here's wishing my Jewish readers a happy Hanukkah, but be aware that antisemitism seems to be on the rebound.  We can see antisemitism in current conspiracy theories, in right-wing rallies, in petty acts of vandalism, in synagogue shootings.  A couple of months ago, I had a conversation with a Jewish co-worker in which I mentioned that I had a conversation with a mutual friend of ours about how we'd end up having to hide friends in our attics if Trump's anti-immigrant policies got any worse.  She replied that she knew other people had it worse, but that any rise in xenophobia eventually ends in attacks on Jews, and noted that her mother had a backup plan to leave for Costa Rica if things got really bad.  I thought to myself, "Gonna have to make more room in the attic."

Hanukkah is all about survival in the face of an oppressive regime.  Most Jewish holidays seem to be about survival, and the Jewish people have survived for two millennia since the Diaspora, their ethics and traditions largely intact.  Here in the 'States, they have been at the forefront of pretty much every civil rights movement... which has earned them the wrath of reactionaries of all stripes.  

Thankfully, it looks like our political system will be pulled from the brink of fascism, which will allow all of us to sleep better at night (this is why I actually embrace the 'Sleepy Joe' moniker for President-elect Biden).  People in marginalized communities will face less danger with a non-sociopath in the White House.  If the removal of the tyrannical Trump isn't a Hanukkah miracle, I don't know what else would be. Seasons greetings, be careful, because things can still get stupid.