Carteret Municipal Menorah Lighting - Rabbi Yaakov Mayer shlit"a

oh sure [Music] Oh [Music] all the dignitaries for inviting us to be here tonight kind of colliding as we stand here today for the official carne event menorah lighting I cannot help but remember time going back over 40 years ago is one of my earliest recollections it wasn't the cold December day or pretty cold December day but it was a rather a warm day in July it wasn't a year 1976 for most of you were around America was celebrating its 200th anniversary its Bicentennial there was a tremendous feeling at that time a feeling of walked 200 years since the events of 1776 200 years since the Declaration of Independence 200 years since the warm independence it was a moving and uplifting time thinking back to the founding fathers of this country and what they went through and what they sacrificed reaffirming the ideas and ideals that they stood forth and for the Jewish people it was a particularly special time I'm time to recognize the mullahs shall hesed the United States for giving us a home a home that affords us the rights the dignity greater than we have ever had in all other countries that we bid in every country that we have been have you ever been given this opportunity it was and is incumbent upon us particularly at this time and there's so much hate and violence in the world [Music] why does this come to mind now if we just stop and think for a moment I think we will all be bored as we stand here is this Hanukkah menorah lighting we are recognizing events that occurred not 200 years ago not 500 years ago not even a thousand years ago we are commemorating events that happened Tara nation more than 2,000 years ago more than two millennia we are we have form and we are forming a bridge through the generations with our holy brothers and sisters that lived at that time each generation by continuing this tradition brings us in some small way closer to that glorious age it gives us direction it gives us strength and this war makes us humble can we live up to what they would expect for us they sacrifice their lives in order that we could continue as a nation serving God with our recognition of their struggle of their commitment comes a great great responsibility we must live our lives always as their ambassadors as their ambassadors to the world our connection