December 13, 2000
Sign One Candle
Chanukah Candlelighting Chart Available in Sign Language
Chanukah
has always been a holiday of inclusion. There is a rabbinic mandate
stating that every Jew is required to light Chanukah candles. When King
Antiochus and the Greeks were persecuting the Jews, the Macabees' ability
to defeat the powerful army and keep the menorah (special Chanukah
candelabra) lit for eight days with only a small amount of oil was truly a
miracle for the entire nation. For more than 1,000 years,
intergenerational families spanning the gamut of religious observance have
come together to commemorate these miracles by lighting the menorah. Now,
for the second year, this inclusion extends to the deaf and hard of
hearing community.
The Our Way
outreach program for the Jewish deaf and hard of hearing - a division of
the Orthodox Union's National Jewish
Council for the Disabled (NJCD) - has published an illustrated sign
language chart of the Chanukah candlelighting blessings. This chart
will be mailed to thousands of deaf and hard of hearing Jews throughout
the U.S. and Canada.
The laminated chart, which features brief
descriptions of some of the holiday's basic laws and popular customs, was
created under the direction of Tchia Kastor, a deaf activist living in
Baltimore, and was illustrated by the Baltimore firm, Staiman Design.
The chart is available for a suggested donation of $10.
Mrs. Kastor explained, "It is very important to
provide for the needs of the deaf in their language. In creating the
Chanukah candlelighting chart, my desire has been to help everyone who
best expresses themselves through sign language to participate in these
wonderful rituals and grow closer to God."
Our Way Director Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind explained,
"The candles that we light on Chanukah signify a hope so strong and
enduring that it transcends language. Though it is still important
to recite the blessings aloud (if possible), the sign language
candlelighting chart enables deaf and hearing impaired Jews to experience
the beauty and meaning of Chanukah in their own special way." Our Way
offers a variety of programs and services for the deaf as well as for
family members, friends and anyone who interacts with the deaf and hearing
impaired. To order a copy of the sign language Chanukah candlelighting
chart, join the mailing list, or obtain more information on Our Way
programs for the Jewish deaf and hard of hearing, please call (212)
613-8234, e-mail ourway@ou.org, or
write to Our Way/NJCD 11 Broadway New York, NY 10004.
Established in 1969, Our Way is the only Jewish
movement reaching out to the deaf and hearing impaired across the country
and bridging the gap between the hearing and non-hearing worlds. Through a
vast array of programs including holiday celebrations, a Jewish Deaf
Singles Registry, Torah study groups, summer tours, family retreats,
conventions and special signing publications, Our Way provides spiritual
and social opportunities for nearly 1,000 deaf across the country.
The
Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish
community of America and beyond, is the world leader in youth
work,
advocacy for the disabled, synagogue
services, adult education and
political action. Its kosher
supervision label, the
 ,
is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over
250,000 products in 68 countries around the globe.
###
www.ou.org
Comments?
Requests? Questions?
 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
of America
Department of Public Relations
Sharyn Perlman, Director
Main Office:
11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058
E-mail: media@ou.org |
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