“Chanukah” in the Dominican Republic
The Jewish community in the Dominican Republic was invited for the first time “ever” to build a giant Menorah and place it in a public area. The Menorah is 20 feet tall and was hand crafted as a donation to the Dominican Republic by the Jewish community members (consisting of Jews by choice, descendants of Marranos, European survivors, Israelis, and Yankees who have migrated to this beautiful island).
The Menorah was lit on December 16 at a public event attended by Dominican Republic officials and the Israeli ambassador, as well as Jews and friends. The celebration was a tribute to the religious liberty on the Island and to the Jewish struggle of 150 BCE over religious freedom. It is also a belated thank you for the very generous 100,000 visas extended to European Jews during the Holocaust by the Dominican Republic. (No one ever found out why, but only a few hundred were used.)
At the event, dancing was spontaneous. Never have we been so self-confident and safe. It was a great demonstration that all Jews of every color and every origin in our country will be proud Jews who can contribute to the Diaspora, world Jewry and to the millions of Jews who remain hidden in fear or inertia.
We hope to have yet another party next year and are looking for a place to plant our Menorah between annual ceremonies. We have asked the government to give us a public park for our outdoor gatherings during the year that we in turn will keep in great shape for the city of Santo Domingo. We hope this park will be a regular meeting place for Jews, non-Jews, descendants of Anousim, and people who want to be Jews.
We are most grateful to David Cygielman and Levi Felix of The Forest Foundation for funding half of the first public celebration. In the terms of The Forest Foundation, our park might be considered an outdoor Moishe House — a place to gather and celebrate in a beautiful setting.