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Dr. Dell F. Sanchez

D Sanchez


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Sephardic Anusim Center of the Americas
Newsletter
December 7, 2009

"The exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev." (Obadiah 20)

Hanukkah חנוכה
~Feast of Lights & Dedication ~
"What is Hanukkah?" you ask. Some spell it Chanukah and other ways as well. Hanukkah is probably the most joyous time of the Jewish year. It's celebrated with lights, feastings, family, toys such as "trompos" (dreidels). This is also known as the Feast of Lights with the lighting of an eight branched menorah, not seven as is customary. In my Hispanic (Sephardic) culture, we celebrate it with linternas or luminaries which consist of placing a candle inside a bag filled with sand and lighting a bunch of them along pathways each night for eight nights. But what does Hanukkah actually come from?

The eve of Hanukkah falls on Friday, December 11th this year and proceeds for eight days with the giving and receiving of gifts each and every day. While on Christmas, people share gifts only one day, Jews share them for eight days.

"But why eight days and not just one day of celebration?" you might ask. During the battle between the Jewish Maccabees against the ruling Greek Syrians in 165 BCE, two miracles occurred.


First, the odds were grossly against a small rag-tag Jewish army led by the Maccabee sons when they experienced a miraculous victory over the Greek Syrian armies. This battle was fought because their enemies had banned their Jewish religion and had desecrated their Temple by sacrificing a pig on the holy altar of their Temple.

The reason for lighting the eight branch menorah (known as hanukiah) is because of yet another great miracle. This is the miracle of the cruse of consecrated oil which burned not only for one day but for eight days in the Temple's menorah. This took place during the same time of the Maccabee battle; and is believed to be directly connected to their triumph.

So here's the connection between lights and war. All wars, battles and conflicts are birthed in the dark nature of man. The same holds even truer in the motives that strike such battles. These motives are hatred, greed, envy, jealousies and attitudes of superiority and an array of other dark issues of man.

But on the other side we have the light which dispels such dark behaviors. These include love, patience, compassion, benevolence, hope and yes, sacrificing yourself for the good of others.

In other words, the Greek Syrians were acting out of hatred and a will to control and subjugate. But the Maccabees were acting out of a love and honor for God, for country, for family and for freedom.

I believe the great warrior, king and poet, David, best portrays the spirit of Hanukkah which represents the light and gifts of God to us.

The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold if my life--of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)


Obsession, Radical Islam Against the West
Speaking of wars incited by hate, today we find ourselves confronted by a new enemy, also engaged in a violent struggle to transform our world. As we sleep in the comfort of our homes, a new evil rises against us. A new menace is threatening, with all the means at its disposal, to bow Western Civilization under the yoke of its values. That enemy is radical Islam.

We encourage you to take a look at newly produced film, "Obsession, Radical Islam Against the West", which reveals an 'insider's view' of the hatred that radical Islam is teaching, their incitement of global jihad, and their goal of world domination.

You can view the film for free at
www.radicalislam.org/obsession until the 10th of December.


IF YOU ONLY KNEW!
Sephardic Anusim Still Live in Hiding & Secrecy
And now let us turn our attention to yet another battle. This battle is the struggle of Sephardic Anusim in the search of their true heritage. We have posted a new article "If You Only Knew, Sephardic Anusim Still Live in Hiding & Secrecy" on our Obadiah's Revelation Today blog.

The article takes a look at the ups and down of Sephardic Anusim's journey from hiding to their passion to settle the Negev. Below is a small excerpt of the article. You may read it in its entirety at
www.obadiahsrevelationtoday.blogspot.com.

I have seen some things that have pierced my heart, so to speak. As I've seen an increased number of my Sephardic Anusim extended family coming out of their dark closets and at times dungeons of ancient memories, I have seen two things. I've seen my people get happy about the facts of their true heritage. But I've also seen them beginning to shrink back due to rejections from various camps-mostly from the "religious sector."

I've seen them gain new confidence, new dignity and a new sense of self worth which was "scalped" off them via their forefathers' plight. I've seen them emerge with a fire in their soul and a deep passion to embrace and be embraced by their long lost Jewish family. I've seen a passion within them to become one with Israel and also with the Negev which is their God given inheritance. I've seen them get so turned on to Holy Scriptures that were de-emphasized or omitted by religious leaders throughout their lives such as the Pentateuch also known as the Torah and the Prophets. I've seen them get on fire with a new and real purpose and destiny in their lives - something that many of them never had or had lost long ago.


I close this newsletter by saying two things:
One, let's agree to be more considerate of others despite our feelings about them; let's agree to grow a tad this coming year and be better this time next year than we are at this time. Secondly, consider lending me a hand with the incredible contest I'm in as I labor to help my people, the Hispanic Sephardim to get reconnected to their true roots, to experience the self worth and esteem they've been scalped from and to help those that are called to make Aliyah and return to the homeland of their Jewish ancestors.


You can visit my
website and order a book or DVD for yourself or for your gifts this holiday; or you can simply make a donation through our Paypal system that accepts credit cards. Please consider doing this today.

Happy Holidays!

Dell


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