A
lovely speech on the occasion of a menorah lighting at the White House.
More than two thousand years ago, a cruel tyrant ruled Judea -- and forbade the Israelites from practicing their religion. A band of brothers came together to fight this oppression. And against incredible odds, they liberated the capital city of Jerusalem. As they set about rededicating the holy temple, they witnessed a great miracle: That purified oil that was supposed to last for one day burned for eight. Jewish families commemorate this miracle by lighting the menorah for the eight nights of Hanukkah. The Talmud instructs families to place the menorah in public view -- so the entire world can see its light.
This particular menorah belonged to Chayim Pearl, Daniel Pearl's grandfather.
As we light the Hanukkah candles this year, we pray for those who still live under the shadow of tyranny. This afternoon, I met with a group of Jewish immigrants to mark International Human Rights Day. Many of these men and women fled from religious oppression in countries like Iran and Syria and the Soviet Union. They came to America because our nation is a beacon of freedom. And they see a day of hope on the horizon when people all across the world will worship in freedom. The forces of intolerance can suppress the menorah -- but they can never extinguish its light.
(Snip.) I didn't know this about Daniel Pearl --maybe it was on the beheading video I didn't watch, but this is moving:
In his final moments, Daniel told his captors about a street in Israel named for his great-grandfather. He looked into their camera and he said, "My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, and I'm Jewish." These words have become a source of inspiration for Americans of all faiths. They show the courage of a man who refused to bow before terror -- and the strength of a spirit that could not be broken.
The menorah candles lighted at the Presidential palace, with the Christmas tree in the background -- the country of faith, reason, hope, and freedom. Pull any one pillar out and the whole structure collapses into tyranny and oppression. So says Mr. W., and I agree. And that's what we say to Huck & Hitch, respectively.
A lovely speech on the occasion of a menorah lighting at the White House. 
