On Hanukkah we shine a light into darkness to try to make a difference. The Menorahs we place in our windows are not merely decorative, but projections of our values out into the world.
For the past two years I have participated in the Clergy Jail Visiting Project, taking time to visit and talk to inmates at the Erie County Holding Centers in both Alden and Buffalo. University of Buffalo professor Dr. Stephen Hart found a loophole in the law that allows members of the cloth special access into these high security facilities and through the sheriff’s office set up more than a half dozen visits to assess conditions within the facilities. Last week he and his organization released its report which identified five areas of concern: food insecurity, sex discrimination, racism, inadequate religious services, and spotty access to medical care. All of these, as Dr. Hart noted in the report, are solvable and will make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of inmates who come in and out of the facility every year.
Standing side by side with my coreligionists last week in the press conference Dr. Hart organized, I could not help but think of the situation Joseph faces in this week’s portion Parashat Mikeitz. Wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, with no recourse to defend himself, he is at the mercy of a Pharaoh who could leave him there to rot for life or decide to end his life on a whim. Only a miracle from God, allowing Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams provides an escape from his predicament. And, while this is the time of miracles, we should not be reliant on them. Relying instead on the light of one another, shining forth into the darkness to create a more beautiful and just world.
Happy Hanukkah and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
p.s. – if you want to hear more about my work with the Clergy Jail Visiting project here are several reports from local news stations: BTPM & WKBW.