Mr. Menorah-head (Chanukah) 5779

As their favorite season drew closer this year

The Jews down in Jew-ville lacked Chanukah cheer

They all loved this holiday, boychiks and maidels

They longed to light candles, eat latkes, spin dreidels

To gather their families, from lands far and wide

To sing “Rock of Ages” and eat stuff that’s fried

But 2018 brought such sorrow and starkness

The Jew-ville Jews felt overcome by the darkness.

In a nation asunder and bleeding at heart

There were too many villains to know where to start

With no single scoundrel to bear all the blame

The grim events mounted, too many to name:

There was angry division, greed and despair

Tantrums on Twitter and rage everywhere

Murderous shooters and racist attacks

And taunts of Fake News to obscure all the facts

Huge killer storms and death-dealing fires

Couldn’t sway EPA’s science deniers

Jobs that don’t even approach living wages

Kids torn from parents and cast into cages

The poor-they got less, and the rich—they got more

We sold out our allies for tyrants galore

Like Putin and every corrupt Saudi royal

Whose evil’s forgiven because they’ve got oil

Bigotry prospered, with hateful aggression

Thanks, in no small part, to voter suppression

Corporate leaders who claimed to lean in

Turned out to be just more bad masters of spin

As Facebook and Russia connived to implore us

To blame all our failings on Jewish George Soros

Now all of the shtetl was filled with dismay

Would a hero arise who could still save the day?

Every Jew down in Jew-ville, each boychick and maidel

Held hope Lucy Latke and Dana the Dreidel

And brave Gershon Geltbag might get them un-mired

But as it turned out, they had all just retired

All hope seemed to fade as the day it grew dimmer

But off in the distance, the Jews saw a glimmer

It moved toward the people, quite quickly it sped

Yet the light did not shine on Menorah-head’s head

    

Yes, although their brave hero had clearly returned

His bald head was dark where the candles once burned

And boxing Reb Moishe, his side kick of old

He stood in the shadows, forsaken and cold

The people cried, “Save us!”—their hero said, “No—

We must all work together if we want to grow

I’ve come to deliver a critical warning:

It’s time to give thanks and to quit all your mourning

It’s true Jew-ville’s broken, and feeling quite dark

But if you want light, you must gather up sparks

And kindle new flames, for in this black night

There is also great beauty, and kindness and light

Look around you, he said, at school, work and home

The world’s full of color, it’s not monochrome

If life’s got you down with the Chanukah blues

Start looking around and you’ll find there’s good news:

All over the globe, hope’s flag—it unfurls

There’s more education for women and girls

Even in the most troubled and poorest of nations,

Poverty’s down, with far less starvation

Yes, the world’s getting better, despite what it seems

More people than ever nurse new hopes and dreams

More women in Congress—minorities too

With more diverse voices, so long overdue

Possessing the vision to heal and repair

And lift us, together, from dread and despair

After Parkland, our young people found a new voice

Reminding their elders that we have a choice

Their generation—our daughters and sons—

Will free schools and cities from violence by guns

 Clean energy sources that once didn’t pay

Like wind farms and solar are leading the way

Yes, carbon-free power, once thought unattainable

Lies within reach—it’s real and sustainable

Right here at home, at the people’s demanding

Medicaid healthcare will soon be expanding

And in nearby Meridian, I’m pleased to say:

The law now protects you if you’re trans or gay

And friends, if through all this, you’re still feeling low

Have faith: this year, new winds of justice will blow

When your spirit is dimmed and your vision is duller

Remember the two magic words: Robert Mueller

Though in some ways, our age—it is still fraught with fear

Just to be is a blessing, let’s be glad we’re here.

The darkness will pass, the light will return

The bright flames of freedom will once again burn

Then Mr. Menorah-head stood tall and proud

Concluding his words to the gathering crowd:

My flame comes from you—in the dark of this night

If we’re to prevail, we must all kindle light

No hero alone will deliver this nation

Together you must make your own celebration

You each have your own righteous light you must sow—

So let your light shine and the tyrants will go!

Then each Jewville Jew looked into their soul

And the flame of community glowed like a coal

With courage and faith, they banished all fear

And it’s said that a great miracle happened here—

For hope was rekindled, despair—it was gone

And Jewville burst into a Chanukah song.

And Mr. Menorahead, now shining bright

Said “Gut Yuntiff to all and to all a good night.”