QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
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Major Holidays Celebrations Must Be Honored – Ken’s Thought of The Week
By Threat Analyst Ken Abramowitz, author of “The Multifront War”
Editor: Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, President, American Center for Democracy (ACD)
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A major Jewish holiday and two major American holidays are coming up in close proximity. Major holidays offer great opportunities for us to remember our past, reflect on their profound significance, and honor the heroes of that time. As time goes by, we all tend to forget parts of the past. However, we should never forget the important milestones in our past, as that can lead to under-appreciating our present and undermining our future. For example:
1) This week, the 16 million Jews worldwide celebrate the major holiday of Shavuot. Approximately 3,300 years ago, Moses received the 10 Commandments from G-d on Mt Sinai on behalf of the Jewish people of Israel. These commandments are the foundation of Judaism and, 1,300 years later, of Christianity as well. The 10 Commandments are the foundation of Western Civilization and democracy, which benefit us today. They are also the foundation of the American Declaration of Independence, the American Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. To date, the Judeo-Christian civilization is the most successful culture in world history and is shared by 2.5 billion people, or 30% of the world’s population.
2) On May 25, Americans will celebrate Memorial Day. We sadly remember our soldiers, policemen, firemen, as well as citizens who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, and their families are also honored by all of us. This is a very solemn day when flags are flown at half-mast.
3) On July 4, we celebrate America’s Independence Day from England, 250 years ago. We honor the 56 brave signers of the Declaration of Independence who pledged their lives and fortunes to set us free from the British monarchy. We celebrate our brave soldiers who fought a six-year war and defeated the powerful British military. On July 4th, Americans celebrate the freedom they won then and still enjoy.
All Americans should celebrate these important holidays, remembering the extra challenges that ensued.
When the Jews accepted the Rule of Law on Shavuot, all the polytheistic pagans in the area were traumatized and vowed to destroy the monotheistic Jews. Since then, the Jews have been fighting modern-day pagans and their 3,300 years of antisemitism. Since brave Americans fought for their freedoms 250 years ago, world dictators have been resentful of our freedoms and have been attacking us continuously.
The lesson of all three holidays is similar. Our values of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are noble and enduring, but our enemies remained determined to destroy us. Thus, we can never let our guard down. We must continuously fight to protect our values. Our ancestors paved the way for us, and we must pave the way for our children.
