Map: Where the Macabees Fought

click to enlarge.

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Living History

I found the recent article in the NYTimes on what really happened on Chanukah to be quite amusing. The author (and his readers) was upset to learn that Chanukah isn't about Religious Tolerance or whatever as he grew up to believe, but about civil war and the survival of Judaism. He of course paints the Maccabees as a bunch of religious fanatics/Talibanist fighting the moderates who were looking to "synthesize" the Greek and Jewish cultures together, ignoring how (a) the moderates were trying to destroy Judaism and assimilate, and (b) that it is unlikely there would be much of Judaism (or Jews) left today if it weren't for our coreligionists back then.

It seemed appropriate on Chanukah that the JoeSettler family visit something connected to our ideological and national ancestors. There seems to be so much in common between then and now.

So we took a trip to the Maccabean grave site near Modi'in. Now no one is exactly sure where the grave site is, but for a number of reasons, this is currently accepted to be the most likely candidate (though other strongly disagree).



At the location is a modern "Andarta" to soldiers who died in 1948 defending the region against the Jordanian army (there weren't Arabs who could be identified as Palestinians back then). The design of the pyramids is symbolic of the grave markers that were originally on the Maccabbee graves.





If you head out on the path to highway 443 you can see Jewish burial caves that were uncovered as the road was built (you can actually see it on the highway if you drive slow enough). These graves are from around 100 years after the Maccabee victory.







Heading back to the main area, you can see what are considered the most likely candidates for the graves. These graves where carved out of the limestone themselves, and probably a stone pyramid was built over them to cover them up.





There are actually a lot of small caves in the area. Many (but not all) are marked off so you don't fall into them.



If you head over to Latrun tank museum and climb up to the top of the building you can look around and see where the Maccabees fought the Greek-Syrian armies.

Now that's a living history!



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From the Modi'in HANGLO email list

Actually, I wasn't sure whether to inlclude in this post's title "CRANGLO" (ChRristian ANGLOs) or HANGLO, Hellinist ANGLOs. (both based on the "JANGLO" -- Jerusalem Anglo list)

This morning, I was working on a post about the good news that 95% of Jewish Israeli households light Chanuka candles according to a recent Gesher survey. I was going to write about R' Shmuel Eliyahu's article this past Shabbat that "Secular Israelis are Not Hellinists"…and then, I got the following email thread from the Modi'in "anglo" email list.

You know, Modi'in, named for Ancient Modi'in, the place of origin of the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty that ruled Judea in the first and second centuries BCE, and it is where the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Greeks started? THAT Modi'in.

So what was so baffling about this email thread? People on this email list were pining for Christmas Carols to be sung in the Modi'in park -- not by Christians, but by Jews, Anglo-Israelis!

Makes you wonder why a Jew would move from the US to Israel, just to sing Christmas "just to enjoy beautiful" Carols?

Wishing you all a Happy Chanuka, in which we celebrate the affirmation of our Jewish heritage over assimilation with foreign cultures and religions.

--Jameel

PS: To all our friends in Modi'in who want to carol away the night, here's something worthwhile to read as background information on your joyous holiday caroling. (hat-tip, DovBear)

(names changed and email addresses removed to prevent lawsuits)

Email #1

CG wrote:

Hi List!

My wife's hairdresser told her that there will be a Christmas carol service in Park Anabe [in Modi'in] on Wednesday night. Does anyone know what time it starts ?

Happy Holidays Y'all


Email #2:

On Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 8:43 PM, YG wrote:

Unbelievable!

Email #3:

On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 9:17 AM, JB wrote:

What's so unbelievable? I'm curious. Is it so outrageous that someone might want to listen to Christmas carols here in Israel? Perhaps it's equally outrageous that a Jew living in the US might want to light candles on Chanukkah. If it really is being planned, I think it's a wonderful idea!

-JB

Email #4:

Hi

I did not hear of any positive confirmation of christmas carols taking place in park anabe this week

however as there is such an obvious popular demand for christmas carols in modiin, why dont we do an impromtu carols sing along in a park in modiin this wednesday night - any ideas ?

here is a list of carols to get everyone in the mood

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_carols

chag sameach to everyone

Email #5:

Hi,

How many Christians are there in Modi'in to make up a choir? And Xmas carols are not exactly Rudolph and Jingle Bells, they are praises to Jesus the Lord. Modi'in has been created as a Jewish city as most of the cities in Israel. And most of the cities in Israel that were set up in 1948, when the State of Israel was declared as a Jewish country, Ben Gurion and the other secular members of that government declared all the religious and national holidays to be the Jewish holidays. That is so that we would not be like other countries, but a Jewish country. Modi'in, also created as a Jewish city is not comparable to the US or any other city or country in the world. I don't think that singing dreidel songs in Catholic countries like a piazza in an Italian city, or a Spanish city would be appropriate either.

Of course we have Christian and other non-Jewish groups in Israel and they get budgets from the Misrad Hadatot just as synagogues get budgets. If anyone is really interested in hearing Xmas carols, or the midnite mass, my suggestion is to go to Yafo, Nazareth, J'lem or Latrun where there are concentrations of Christians and proper churches, and listen to an authentic rendition.

IMHO, it is not appropriate to have a public singing of Xmas carols right smack in the center of Modi'in. How many of the foreign workers are Christian, and how many of those will actually come?

G.

Email #6:

I beg to differ. Singing dreidel songs in Italy or anywhere else is just as appropriate as caroling in Israel. Modiin is just another city, with people like you that might not want to here carols and are there welcome to stay at home or go to a restaurant and support local businesses, or read a book, etc. There are other people, like me, Jewish, not afraid of other religions, do not believe in the message, just enjoying the beautiful songs. You don't like it, don't show up, it's that simple and it's called freedom of assembly.

S

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד