I’m Over the Maccabees: A Hanukkah Prayer

Barukh atah Adonai,
Brukhah at Shekhinah,
Ruakh Ha-Olam:
 
I’m over the Maccabees.
I’m done with fanatics.
I’m done with extremists who demand purity.
I’m done with fundamentalists who shut women up.
I’m done with religions that kill.
 
I’m over the Seleucids.
I’m done with invaders.
I’m done with outsiders telling anyone how to live in their own country.
I’m done with people telling me how to worship my God.
I’m done with liars and rapists and powerful men.
 
I’m over the Hellenists.
I’m done with accomodation.
I’m done with rich suck-ups.
I’m done with living in comfy bubbles.
I’m done with pretending we’re one of them.
 
I’m over Hanukkah.
         I’m done with Hanukkah bushes.
         I’m done with eight days of socks.
         I’m done with parties at the White House. 
         I’m done with cheap chocolate gelt.
 
I’m okay with light in the darkness. 
And potato latkes.
Oh, and donuts.
Let’s start there.
Amen

Ritualwell content is available for free thanks to the generous support of readers like you! Please help us continue to offer meaningful content with a donation today. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Rituals

Shop Ritualwell - Discover unique Judaica products

The Reconstructionist Network

Learning to Say "We": Writing Identity

In this immersion, we will reflect and expand on our personal experiences of identity, using writing exercises and in-depth discussions to think about, challenge, discover, explore, and experiment with different ways to identify ourselves, to consider how those ways connect us to and separate us from others, and how they represent and misrepresent aspects of who we are.

Four sessions, starting June 15th

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.