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Take note all ye cultural fascists out to annihilate Christmas: The Catholic League has a nativity scene on public property in New York City, right in Central Park. We deliberately put it on the corner of 59th and 5th so that New Yorkers taking the 5th Avenue bus downtown can’t avoid seeing it. Indeed, it’s impossible to miss. Next to it will be the world’s largest menorah, a religious symbol that some dunce lawyers still think is a secular symbol. “Every year we get a permit from the New York City Parks Department to display our life-sized crèche in Central...

A video class regarding the shape of the Menorah (candelabra) used in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Residents in a Newhall senior apartment complex are protesting an order from management to remove their beloved Christmas tree from the community room because, they were told, it's a religious symbol. On Tuesday, Tarzana-based JB Partners Group Inc. sent a memo to staff demanding they take down Christmas trees and menorahs in communal areas. The company has owned The Willows for four years, but this is the first time it's given such a directive to staff. On Wednesday, two dozen residents in the 75-resident complex gathered in the lobby to place a neon green sign that read: "Please Save Our...

Christmas in America is a season of time-honored traditions: The sacred performance of the annual ACLU lawsuit over the presence of an insufficiently secular "holiday" tree. The ritual provocations of the atheist displays licensed by pitifully appeasing municipalities to sit between the menorah and the giant Frosty the Snowman. The familiar strains of every hack columnist's "war on Christmas" column rolling off the keyboard as easily as Richard Clayderman playing "Winter Wonderland" ... This year has been a choice year. A crucified skeleton Santa Claus was erected as part of the "holiday" display outside the Loudoun County courthouse in Virginia...

A couple of items have appeared in the news which, when juxtaposed, go a long way to show just who the real threat is in the Church/State debate of recent decades. I’d like to excerpt these stories and make some comments. But first, we do well to recall the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.The part...

On the eve of Tisha B'Av, commemorating the anniversary of the destruction of the First and Second Temples, artifacts were exposed that breathe new life into the story of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem... During the course of work the Israel Antiquities Authority carried out in Jerusalem's ancient drainage channel, which begins in the Siloam Pool and runs from the City of David to the archaeological garden (near the Western Wall), impressive finds were recently discovered that breathe new life into the story of the destruction of the Second Temple... A 2,000 year old iron sword, still in...

A familiar nativity scene and menorah were removed from the Luzerne County Courthouse lawn Wednesday night because the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to get a restraining order. County Solicitor Vito DeLuca said a Pittsburgh lawyer from the ACLU contacted him Wednesday to give the county an opportunity to remove the items before it filed court action that was already in the works. The ACLU argues the displays violate the separation of church and state clause of the U.S. Constitution, DeLuca said. DeLuca said county officials opted not to spend time and money on a lawsuit – at least not...

Like many Americans in interfaith households, I'm ping-ponging between traditions this weekend. The painted figures of the Nativity set are finally arranged in the front window; I've caught up on my Advent readings; and the Christmas-cookie-baking marathon is about to start. At the same time, the candles in the menorah are burning brightly; I'm practicing my Hebrew pronunciation for the blessing; and every corner of our apartment smells like latkes. More than any other time of year, December highlights the variety and mix of religious traditions in the United States. According to a 2008 study by the Pew Forum on...

<p>CHISINAU, Moldova — Dozens of people led by an Orthodox priest smashed a menorah in Moldova's capital, using hammers and iron bars to remove the candelabra during Hanukkah, officials said.</p> <p>The 1.5 meter(5-foot)-tall ceremonial candelabrum was retrieved, reinstalled and is now under police guard.</p>

Jesus was in Jerusalem during this feast and made one of His clearest messianic claims (John 10:22-39). It was this same Jesus who referred to himself as “the light of the world” (John 8:12).

Hanukkah is sited in the Gospel of John 10:22 as the "feast of the dedication."

Sometimes, all it takes is one ancient stone to upend all the vicious anti-Israel propaganda being hurled at us by our foes. Archaeologists from Israel's Antiquities Authority recently uncovered a stone carving dating back nearly two thousand years which depicts the Menorah (candelabrum) that stood in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (see below). Jews from across the country regularly made pilgrimage to the Temple, which was the seat of Judaism and its most holy of sitesuntil being destroyed by the Roman invaders in the year 70 C.E. Obviously, the unknown artist who sculpted the stone was moved by his encounter...

JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists have uncovered one of the earliest depictions of a menorah, the seven-branched candelabra that has come to symbolize Judaism, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Friday. The menorah was engraved in stone around 2,000 years ago and found in a synagogue recently discovered by the Sea of Galilee. Pottery, coins and tools found at the site indicate the synagogue dates to the period of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem, where the actual menorah was kept, said archaeologist Dina Avshalom-Gorni of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Nativity scenes made of real straw. Wise Men 2 feet tall. Menorahs bigger than a human being.   Holiday display in Teaneck. In many North Jersey municipalities, those sacred symbols can be found at the same place people get dog licenses, pay taxes and apply for building permits — town hall.  The display of religious items on public property has long been a charged discussion in American communities, and the case law governing holiday displays is still murky enough to confound local governments trying to create a festive atmosphere for residents.* Fair Lawn for years just lit a holiday tree....

In addition to tidings of peace and joy, St. Ambrose Church in Old Bridge has another message for the community this season: Don't even think about stealing the parish's new nativity scene. Not only are Mary and Joseph secured to the manger with steel cords, but the Baby Jesus also will be bolted to his crib and equipped with a high-tech GPS device to track anyone who might snatch him. "GPS. We call it God's Positioning System," the Rev. Bob Gorman, St. Ambrose's pastor, said. The Roman Catholic church is one of about 100 churches and synagogues around the country...

RFFM.org News SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS -- Nearly 20 members of a choir--which calls itself the Joyful Senior Singers & Ringers--performed in the Illinois state Capitol Building on December 9th. Hailing from the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur, the unique group of musicians and vocalists, consisting solely of senior citizens, performed near an historic privately-sponsored Nativity scene which has been on display in Illinois' Statehouse since December 2nd. There was no official estimate, but those present said the Capitol Rotunda crowd was huge. "What a wonderful experience," said Marian Blankenship, a spokesman and member of the choir. "We didn't even use a...

With this awareness of the powerful miracle of spiritual renewal that is such a vital part of Chanukah, we can understand the message of the Talmud's teaching (Shabbos 21b) that even the types of oil and wicks which cannot be used for lighting the Sabbath candelabra, are acceptable for use in the Menorah for Chanukah. The Chassidic work, Me'or Einayim explains: Even those souls who are so far removed from the Torah's teaching and practice that the light of the Sabbath cannot inspire them or draw them closer, can be touched by the light and inspiration of the Chanukah Menorah....

This year, for the first time, Chatham Borough's holiday tree will be joined by a giant menorah. The borough agreed to a request for a public menorah display by Shalom Lubin, who over the years has gained approval for menorahs in neighboring Madison, Florham Park, East Hanover and Chatham Township. Lubin, a rabbi and director of the Chabad of Southeast Morris County, said word is spreading and towns are saying "hey, you have one in your town, why don't we have one in our town?" "More and more towns are realizing that in the spirit of the holiday, being inclusive...

A man barred from placing a nativity scene in the Washington State Capitol rotunda last year will no longer face opposition from state officials.  ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit last year after state officials denied the request but allowed a menorah and a “holiday tree” to be displayed.  The parties settled the suit, allowing Ron Wesselius to display a nativity scene on behalf of citizens who celebrate Christmas.   “It’s incredible to think that Americans have to think twice about whether it is OK to celebrate Christmas in public,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Byron Babione.  “Just as it is constitutional...

Borough officials hope some holiday diplomacy will help avoid a First Amendment fight with the Closter Menorah Committee. The group, which has staged menorah-lighting ceremonies on public property for the last 25 years, threatened to sue the town last winter, when officials considered shutting down the event following a raucous time the year before. The Borough Council allowed the ceremony last year under tighter restrictions and, in a divided vote last week, chose to allow it again. But officials want the Dec. 6 event to move from the front lawn of Borough Hall to a park one block from downtown....