Gifts for the
Super Hero
in your life!
♦New & Collector Comics
♦Science Fiction
♦Adventure Games
•T-Shirts & More
REN & STIMPY AND
STAR TREK STUFF
Cosmic Comics
Gift Certificates Available
OUR 3 LOCA TIONS TO SERVE YOU
Lincoln-Edgewood*5400 S. 56th, Ste 4
•423-2584
Lincoln-East Park Plaza-200 N. 66th
•467-2727
Omaha-Harvey Oaks Plaza*144th & Center
•336-9118
nebraska spirit
THE BIG RED
CHRISTMAS LIST
NEBRASKA SWEATSHIRTS
NEBRASKA BASEBALL CAPS
NEBRASKA T-SHIRTS
GIFTS AND NOVELTIES
| IlM I SIH I I IISH IN
Fashion II's \
Budget
Shopping-List
+Ue ev*ft t* five 4U ft{t*
-+e* & c**Uf*ed jemettf
-CettdAAi l<146,(9* j
ce%U^Cc4Uc4
-4Ue44-(+%-4*CC€44 ^4UiC4tU
Fashion II
CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUE
Hours: 10-5:30, VI I- 10-8 lh 10-4 Sat
33rd & Pioneers 483-1324
Michelle Paulman/DN
Cantor Michael Weisser of the South Street Temple, 2000 South St., says Hanukkah is a minor
Jewish holiday compared to Christmas for Christians.
Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah
as minor holiday, professor says
By Dionne Searcey
Senior Editor
Many Americans may think Ha
nukkah is to Jews what Christmas is to
Christians. Not so, a member of the
Jewish community said.
Stuart Margolis, a University of
Ncbraska-Lincoln professor of com
puter science, said Hanukkah was not
a major Jewish holiday.
• “Although it may be represented
by the popular press as a major holi
day, it certainly isn’t from a Jewish
point of view,” he said. “It’s not a
major holiday. On major holidays we
stop working.”
No special services arc usually
planned for Hanukkah, he said. On
the holiday, Jews may have candle
lighting ceremonies or cat a heavily
fried potato pancake called latkc, and
the children play special games.
Jewish people in the United Stales
also take part in gift-giving on Hanuk
kah, he said.
“In America, Hanukkah has taken
on great importance because it hap
pened to fall at the same time as
Christmas,” he said.
Jewish parents don’t want their
children to feel left out, Margolis
said, when they see their Christian
friends exchanging gifts.
“Gift-giving wasa small part of the
hol iday years ago. Today it’s taken on
major proportions,” Margolis said.
UNL has only about 60 to 100
Jewish students. Aboull.000 Jewish
people reside in Lincoln, 6,000 to
8,000 live inOmaha and few Jews live
elsewhere in Nebraska, he said.
Hanukkah is different from other
Jewish holidays, Margolis said, be
cause it’s the only Jewish holiday that
celebrates post-biblical events.
Brian Shelhto/DN
Hanukkah celebrates a military and
religious victory that look place many
years ago, he said.
At that time, the land of Israel was
- 44
Gift giving was a
small part of the
holiday years ago.
Today it’s taken on
major proportions.
—Margolis
political science professor
-ft ’
occupied by Greeks, who forebode
Ihc practice of the Jewish faith.
The Maccabcc family, a group of
priests, led a popular uprising, he
said, and the Greeks were defeated.
“This was really a fight for reli
gious freedom — a popular uprising
brought about by a small band of
people who threw off their oppres
sors," Margolis said.
Miicr me ucicai, nc saiu, jowish
people were able to rcinslilutc reli
gious practices at the temple in Jerusa
lem.
But the Jewish people believed the
Greeks had used the temple for pagan
sacrifices, he said. They needed to
find oil to anoint the temple and make
it fit once again for Jewish rituals.
But the Jews found just enough oil
to last one day.
“In fact, it lasted for eight days,”
according to the legend, Margolissaid.
Now, one candle is lit every night
for eight days, in celebration of Ha
nukkah, which means rcdcdication.
The holiday starts each year on a
day marked by the Hebrew calendar,
Margolis said. This year, the first
night of candle lighting is Dee. 19.
