12 Dec LACK OF CLARITY: PRESIDENTS’ FAILURE TO DENOUNCE ANTI-SEMITISM

Doug Emhoff, the
Jewish husband of Vice
President Kamala
Harris and commonly
referred to as the
Second Gentleman,
expressed concern on
Thursday, the first night of Hanukkah, about
the rising tide of anti-Semitism in the United
States. During a ceremony of lighting the
National Menorah, Emhoff pointed to a
“crisis of anti-Semitism” that is making it
difficult for many Jews in America to
celebrate Hanukkah.
Emhoff specifically criticized the presidents
of the prestigious universities for their recent
testimony regarding anti-Semitism on college
campuses. He highlighted this testimony as
an example of why numerous Jews in the
country feel “unmoored and afraid.”
Mr. Emhoff was addressing the presidents of
three leading universities in the nation which
are facing significant criticism, even from the
White House, following allegations of
avoiding questions during a congressional
hearing.
In a widely circulated exchange,
Representative Stefanik pressed the
universities’ presidents to clarify whether

students advocating for the genocide of Jews
is against their respective university’s code of
conduct. Stefanik’s line of questioning
seemed to combine chants calling for
“intifada,” an Arabic term associated with
violent Palestinian protests, which are being
used on US campuses as calls for the
genocide of Jews. When asking Elizabeth
Magill, the president of UPenn, she
responded, “If the speech turns into conduct,
it can be harassment”, she emphasized that
such decisions are context-dependent.
Despite being pressed to provide a definitive
“yes” or “no” answer, Magill did not comply.
Similar exchanges took place with the other
presidents.
It might be challenging for Mr. Emhoff to
celebrate Hanukkah as he hears the presidents
of elite universities failing to denounce the
growing anti-Semitism on their campuses.
However, for other Jews, celebrating
Hanukkah is not difficult at all. In fact, recent
events, particularly the testimony of those
shady presidents, have illuminated the
Holiday of Lights, allowing us to see the true
meanings of the holiday more clearly.
Hanukkah serves as a beacon of moral clarity,
distinguishing between right and wrong,
holiness, and it’s opposite.

The distinction
between Mr. Emhoff
and us possibly lies in
his perception that
Hanukkah is akin to
the Christmas
celebration that his
wife observes—a day
of family gatherings
and gift exchanges.
Such celebrations are
indeed overshadowed
by recent events;
however, the reality is
that while there are
family gatherings and
celebrations during
Hanukkah, they are for
entirely different reasons.
Let’s revisit the fundamental aspects of
Hanukkah, perhaps shedding light on this for
Mr. Emhoff. During the time of the Greek
Empire, their focus was on controlling the
mind and soul of the Jewish people. Despite
defiling all the utensils in the Holy Temple,
the liturgy specifically highlights the
defilement of the oils in the Temple by the
Greeks. This underscores the Greeks’
particular emphasis on contaminating the oil.
It is noteworthy that they defiled the oil
rather than disposing of it.
The symbolism of oil is crucial here. Oil is
often likened to Torah wisdom, as it has the
unique quality of rising to the top when
mixed with another liquid. Similarly, Torah
wisdom can be objective by transcending
and rising above all other wisdoms.
Furthermore, it’s essential to note that only
oil has the ability to produce light; other
liquids do not have this illuminating quality.
Similarly, only the Torah has the power to
shine moral and spiritual light, while other
forms of wisdom fall short—leaving the
mind and heart in darkness. This concept is
—וחושך על פני תהום” verse the in reflected
And darkness was upon the face of the
deep”, where Chazal (the Sages of the
Talmud) explain that this darkness refers to
the philosophy of the Greeks. In other
words, when darkness was introduced, it
symbolized the advent of Greek philosophy.
The Greek objective was to undermine the
Jewish thought process by corrupting their
Torah intellect, leading to Jews adopting
Greek ways of thinking. Unfortunately, the
contaminated intellect of the Greeks largely
succeeded, as many Jews embraced
Hellenism and assimilated into Greek
culture.
However, the success of the Greek influence
was limited to those who assimilated into
their way of thinking. Thankfully, Hashem
showed mercy upon those who remained
steadfast and did not alter their way of life.
As a result, they were ultimately saved
from the decree of conforming to the ways

of the Greeks.
This symbolism is embodied in the discovery
of the jar of pure oil, underscoring the
importance of maintaining the purity of our
beliefs and safeguarding them from the
influence of Greek intellect.
Another apparent difference is the fact that
the Torah is infinite, unlike the philosophy
taught at those education establishments. In
these institutions, moral standards and life
philosophies are interchangeable. Depending
on the faculty and the principles involved, the
standards might change. Today, we witness a
distortion of moral values, often propagated
in none other than elite universities. It’s not
surprising that those appointed to lead these
institutions and oversee literature and ethics
often fall short of minimal standards. This
serves as a wake-up call for our Jewish
brothers and sisters considering higher
education at such places. The question arises:
Do you truly want to expose your mind to
such potential contamination? Especially
that it has reached a point where they now
teach progressive ideologies that may involve
playing with people’s genders and minds,
which is deeply concerning.
When witnessing the moral breakdown of
these university leaders, it becomes
increasingly apparent that the Hanukkah
message resonates deeply. Hanukkah
underscores that only the Torah has the power
to guide us to a moral state of mind,
highlighting the importance of maintaining
moral principles and ethical values in the
face of adversity.
I would like to end this article with an
expression of gratitude to the remarkable
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York,
who skillfully addressed those presidents
with precision. Additionally, I extend thanks
to the shamful presidents of Harvard, the
University of Pennsylvania, and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
for highlighting the story of Hanukkah for all
those who needed a reminder. It allows us all
to clearly discern and articulate our stance
אשר בחר בנו מכל העמים :clear and loud say and
ונתן לנו תורת אמת