The Lights that Illuminate the World

This week I have been celebrating Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. On Chanukah we celebrate the miracle of a one-day’s supply of oil lasting for eight days. We also remember the battle that preceded that miracle. It was a victory of light over darkness, the spiritual over the physical, the few over the many, the weak over the strong. It was a victory of values.

If you spend much time reading the news, you might believe that the victory from thousands of years ago was short-lived. The world feels divided into “us” vs “them” camps. Anti-semitism and other hate crimes are increasing.

The promise of the internet and a connected world was to broaden our perspective, to bring us into contact with more people who had differing opinions, so we could learn from each other. But it often seems like it had the opposite effect. There seems to be no tolerance for other viewpoints or other cultures.

It feels like we are living in dark times. And this is where the message of Chanukah comes in. In the desecrated temple, there was one pure vial of oil to light the menorah. That oil lasted for eight days.

Even in the darkness, there is light.

We light the candles each night, using the shamash, to show that it only takes one candle to light others. Each night, we light one more candle, to show that lighting one leads to more light. It spreads, even if gradually.

There is light in this world. We simply must look for it. And when we find it, it’s our job to shine a light on it, to illuminate it for others to see, so that the light can spread.

This is what I want to do today.

Each night this week after lighting the candles, I have logged onto YouTube to hear some of my favorite Chanukah songs. This led to my discovery of the PS 22 chorus from Staten Island, New York.

You may already know about this chorus. They’ve become famous for singing covers of popular songs with a list of famous recording artists. The chorus has performed at the Academy Awards. I may be the last person to know about it.

But what drew me to this chorus was not the performances for Lady Gaga or Jennifer Hudson.

What captivated me was an old video of the chorus singing the Chanukah staple, Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages).

This is a multi-racial public school choir. Singing a Hebrew song for Chanukah. And not just singing, but truly taking joy in their expression of the song.

As I explored further I found other recordings of the chorus singing Chanukah songs. They have a full repertoire of Chanukah songs. Including others in Hebrew.

In a time when our world seems hopelessly divided, the image of this mutl-ethnic group of students singing a song to celebrate a Jewish holiday, in Hebrew, with so much passion and joy reminds me that there is light in this world.

The music teacher who started this choir was originally hired to teach second grade. He saw a need for his true skill — the thing that lights him up. He took a stand for music, and won over the principal. And by doing what lights him up, he is lighting up these kids and helping them bring light to the world.

This choir is the modern day Chanukah story. A victory for values. Music. Diversity, Inclusiveness. Tolerance. This teacher and his rotating casts of students are lighting up a corner of the world.