Chanukah Heroes
ON THE SIXTH NIGHT, we think of the hundreds of thousands of Jews who escaped persecution and now live in Israel. The opportunity to make aliyah and begin a new life in Israel has always been in the prayers of Jews. The establishment of the State of Israel has made it possible for these prayers to be answered.
Chanukah hero: Yarden Fanta-Vagenstein
Yarden Fanta-Vagenstein made aliyah from Ethiopia at age 14 with her family of 11. Coming from this rural, third-world background, she went on to become the first women of Ethiopian descent to earn her doctoral degree in Israel (at Tel Aviv University). Her doctoral thesis was on the cultural and cognitive challenges of Ethiopian olim in integrating into Israel. At Tel Aviv University in 2001, she etablished a program called "Thinking Science" to expose Ethiopian-Israeli teens to science and technology. The program is still running today. She is now doing post-doctoral work at Harvard in the field of education. She plans to develop educational curricula to help those who are illiterate integrate into the education system.
Fanta-Vaganstein is a Chanukah hero becuase:
- She made aliyah, began a new life in Israel, and thrived with the benefits of education and techology available to all citizens in Israeli society
- She believes in the importance of education for all, and is currently working on developing solutions to improve the education system in Israel. In this way, she is contributing greatly to Israeli society and the Jewish people.
Raoul Wallenberg
Chanukah hero:
Raoul Wallenberg, Rescuer of Jews from the Holocaust
Raoul Wallenberg (1914-1947) was a Swede who worked in Budapest, Hungary to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He saved tens of thousands of Jews by issuing passports and housing them. He was posthumously honored in countries around the world, including with two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Wallenberg is a Chanukah hero because:
- He fought against the tremendous injustices of anti-Semitism perpetuated during the Holocaust, which resulted in the deaths of six million Jews.
- He believed firmly in the rights of Jews as individuals and the sanctity of human life.
