We're FINALLY having Hanukkah this year! The Anne Frank video and essay gave my daughter the courage to finally openly celebrate being a Jew as a family with the Littlest Macaroon, Leira. Yay!

Even though her husband Jason objected before (he's a practicing 7th Day Adventist), Ariel has said that after ten years of marriage, and two secretly celebrated Hanukkahs with Leira (It's also coincidentally - and luckily - her birthday in mid-December).

Yay!

My granddaughter Leira, a.k.a. The Little Macaroon will finally get to have a real Hanukkah with candles and presents and everything. Thanks to the video of Anne Frank essay posted here and on YouTube. Mazel Tov, and L'chaim!

- Suzy Fischer

Mom,

I would love to have a real Hanukkah celebration. We have room at our new place.
Why don't we set a date and make it a big deal. I'm sure Leira would love
that!!!

--- On Thu, 10/8/09, suzypfisch@aol.com wrote:

> From: suzypfisch@aol.com
> Subject: Re: IN MEMORIAM - 63 YEARS LATER
> To: ams32000@yahoo.com
> Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009, 1:02 PM

Dear Ariel,

So can we PLEASE have a real Hanukkah this year, and I have the wiki page that will explain to Jason (Ariel's husband; a practicing 7th Day Adventist) why the Star of David is not the same thing as an inverted Pagan 5-pointed star?

RE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8601-202_162-5361217.html?assetTypeId=41&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Virtual Tour of Anne Frank House: http://news.aol.com/article/youtube-shows-video-of-anne-frank/700123?icid=main|main|dl1|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fyoutube-shows-video-of-anne-frank%2F700123

AND: http://news.aol.com/article/youtube-shows-video-of-anne-frank/700123?icid=main|main|dl1|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fyoutube-shows-video-of-anne-frank%2F700123 (see in entirety below)

This story about the Anne Frank footage popped up on my "AOL Welcome" page when I logged in this morning. After I read the article and looked the the rest of the YouTube videos linked to it, especially the haunting "virtual tour" of their home (hideout), I started to read the comments and then I started to get truly frightened:

For the whole piece go to the Onion online at http://www.theonion.com/content/news/recession_plagued_nation_demands

WASHINGTON—A panel of top business leaders testified before Congress about the worsening recession Monday, demanding the government provide Americans with a new irresponsible and largely illusory economic bubble in which to invest.

"What America needs right now is not more talk and long-term strategy, but a concrete way to create more imaginary wealth in the very immediate future," said Thomas Jenkins, CFO of the Boston-area Jenkins Financial Group, a bubble-based investment firm. "We are in a crisis, and that crisis demands an unviable short-term solution."

I offer to the iThou Circle this dream catcher that was made for me by a patient as a gift. It is a reminder for me to be present to the suffering that I encounter in my life. My time as a hospice nurse is on hold for the moment but in my daily life there are so many situations that can be given the gift of true listening and witnessed whether a tangible outcome is possible or not. The recent posts from both Mindy and Anjela brought this dream catcher back into my awareness and I feel it is time to pass along this symbol of being with those who are suffering.

g

[Submitted on behalf of Suzy Fisher by Albert Wong]