Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, starts late this year—not until Dec. 24. (The Jewish holidays, tied to the lunar Hebrew calendar, always seem to be either early or late—never on time.) But on Wednesday, Barack and Michelle Obama hosted their final Hanukkah party at the White House, and the president shared a reflection on the meaning of the holiday with his guests. His words were stunning and brought tears to my eyes. In this harrowing moment, when religious minorities, especially Jews and Muslims, are the open targets of a campaign of hatred instigated by the president-elect, Obama’s message means so much to me, and I hope to you as well. It’s hard to know which parts to excerpt, but these passages moved me greatly: This is the season that we appreciate the many miracles, large and small, that have graced our lives throughout generations, and to recognize that the most meaningful among them is our freedom. The first chapter of the Hanukkah story was written 22 centuries ago, when rulers banned religious rituals and persecuted Jews who dared to observe their faith. Which is why today we are asked not only to light the menorah, but to proudly display it—to publicize the mitzvah. […] Everybody in America can understand the spirit of this tradition. Proudly practicing our religion, whatever it might be—and defending the rights of others to do the same—that's our common creed. That's what families from coast
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