For those who don’t know, Hanukkah is the Jewish celebration
of the victorious Maccabean revolt in the second century BCE, in which a group
of Jews formed an army in protest of Roman King Antiochus IV’s decrees
forbidding the practice of Judaism, punishable by death. The story is framed as
a miracle; a small, underdog army, the Maccabees, defeated the comparably
overpowering Seleucid Empire. Often left out of the picture in the recounting
of the history of Hanukkah, however, is the gory guerilla warfare that the
Maccabees fought primarily against the Hellenized Jews, a faction that believed
in assimilating to Greek and Roman culture and thus abandoning cultural ties to
Judaism.
On Hanukkah, the Jewish community celebrates the courage and
resilience of the Maccabees, for had they not defended their values and
identity, Judaism as we know it would not exist today. There would be no
Manischewitz, Bar Mitzvahs, or free Friday night dinners at the Freeman Center.
In some parts of the world, the LGBTQ community suffers at
the hands of decrees no different than those of King Antiochus. Look no further
than Russia. Our LGBTQ brothers and sisters are fighting a war on the streets
in the name of identity. Plain and simply, they demand the right to be the
people they deserve to be.
There are Hellenized Jews among us in our own community. Too
often am I asked, “Well don’t you think it’s best to assimilate?” Some of the
biggest enemies of the LGBTQ community are LGBTQ themselves. It’s unfortunate
that many of those who share my identity, trivialize it.
Looking ahead to the new year, I have a wish. I wish that
LGBTQ people at Duke made more of an effort to make this community feel like
one. It’s easier said than done, but without our LGBTQ allies, we are
defenseless in the war again the “Hellenized”. If you value your identity, the
LGBTQ community at Duke, or mainstream LGBTQ culture, you can be a soldier in
this guerilla warfare that’s taking place right on our campus. Your options are
too numerous to ignore. Come to a Kickback Friday. Participate in the Drag
Show. Sign up for a BDU committee. Hang out in the CSGD. Read and write for
this blog!
At the end of the day, the choice is yours. You can be a
queer Maccabee. You can say no to assimilation.
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