Roundup: Getting into the spirit
Lighting the menorah, honoring the Virgin, holiday giving and the charge of the light brigade
Tikun Olam and Oseh Shalom
The last day of Hanukkah starts at sunset tonight.
On the town plaza last Tuesday night, a small group gathered on a wet and windy night to light menorahs for Hanukkah. Steve Einstein, our “Faces of West County” columnist, organized the event. He implored the group to gather closely around the table to keep the wind away as they lit small candles. Rabbi Deborah Newbrun said that Hanukkah is about resilience and adaptation. “It’s about what we do when things don’t work out as we expect; we adapt,” she said. Rabbi Zelig Golden talked about experiencing grief and great sadness after the antisemitic shootings on last Sunday in Sydney, Australia. “Hanukkah is not a story of comfort or safety,” he said. “Our response to violence is illumination, to be seen, and to show up with our own light.”
After the candles were lit and traditional songs were sung, the last singer was Bhavani Judith Tucker who led the group in singing about Tikun Olam and Oseh Shalom. Steve explained that Tikun Olam “means to repair the world or do what you can to do so” and Oseh Shalom “means to make peace, wherever and between all of us.”
In an email, Steve told me that the group asked for and received police protection.
Because of the anxiety that the recent attack in Sydney caused members of the Jewish community, I approached the Sebastopol Police Department about having a police presence for this small public event. They immediately responded positively and had an officer present for our gathering. Not sure if the lone officer would have been able to stop someone intent on shooting up the gathering, but the very presence of an armed officer was reassuring to many who attended. Sad that we needed to consider armed protection at all.
A local celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Christmas is, perhaps, the biggest holiday on the Christian calendar, but at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church on Covert Lane in Sebastopol the Mexican tradition of the celebration of the Feast of the Virgin of Our Lady of Guadalupe is alive and well. The church offers both English and Spanish masses. The Spanish-speaking congregation went all out in honor of this holiday, which happened on Dec. 12. Father Mario Valencia, who hails from Mexico, notes that the Virgin of Guadalupe’s title is “Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas” and he often reminds his English-speaking parishioners that “That includes you.”
For 25 years, Rotarians young and old have spread holiday joy with the annual Adopt-a-Family holiday program
By Rollie Atkinson
Student members of the Analy, Brookhaven and Twin Hills Rotary Interact clubs collected, wrapped and delivered overflowing bags of toys and holiday meals to 27 Sebastopol-area families yesterday morning. They were assisted by adult Rotarians, local firefighters and real estate agents from the Coldwell Banker offices.
This communal effort was part of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol’s 25th annual holiday time “Adopt-A-Family” program. Throughout the previous year, the Rotarians raised $6,000 to be used by the Interact students to shop for toys and other gifts for the families, who were chosen with the help of local social service programs. The Sebastopol Coldwell Banker office donated another $2,000 for food purchases.
The event happened at the Sebastopol Firehouse, and firefighters delivered all the goodies in their fire trucks, assisted by the students, Santa Claus and his Rotarian elves. More than 80 local students participated in the annual program.
Rotarians Pauline Pellini and Aleia Coate chaired the annual effort, and Michael Pellini led the Coldwell Banker team. School advisors John Grech, Andrea Hagen, Nicole Elwood, Ali Alvarado and Flannery Norton assisted the teams of students.
Sebastopol Christmas Light Parade
On Thursday night, the Sebastopol Christmas Light Parade, organized by Lori Jay, wound its way through town. Folks went all out decorating vehicles of all sorts, and Sebastopol police and the fire departments got in the action as well.
Photos courtesy of Cheryl Wills
And in other holiday news…
TOY DRIVE: The Gold Ridge Fire Department is conducting a district-wide Toy Drive this year. People may drop toy donations at any of the Gold Ridge stations in west county up to Christmas Eve, including the Sebastopol Station at 7425 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol Twin Hills Station at 1690 Watertrough Road, the Hessel Station at 4500 Hessel Road, and all the others.
HOLIDAY DINNER: On Christmas Day, Dec. 25, the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise will host its annual Holiday Meal (with toys for the kids) at the Sebastopol Community Church from 1 pm to 4 pm. All community members are invited, and the meal is free. Santa Claus is expected to make his annual visit.
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Dale, thanks for shedding light on our Hannukah lighting, and to the Seb Times for good overall coverage. I want to point out why these menorah lightings are meant to be so public. The Sydney ceremony was a celebration on Bondi Beach, San Francisco Jews were in Union Square, and us locals under our central gazebo, because this holiday celebrates religious freedom. We are all free to celebrate however we want, wherever we are, and not in hiding behind closed doors.
May it be a celebration of everyone’s freedom.