For Frank’s Haikai Challenge number 63 – Habukah or Advent. Both start on the same day. I am lighting my first candle for Chanukah tonight. I will also be driving past the Hassidic Chabad temple to see the first candle lit there as well as subsequent lights – a public lighting proclaiming love and miracles for the world. This haibun is in the abbreviated style of the original created by Basho. This haibun has 76 words, less than 100.
Light Overcomes Darkness
The shamash or the attendant candle lights the other eight candles during Chanuka. The time of the festival of lights shows us the miracle of the oil lasting in the temple for eight days. Every night I will drive past the Hassidic Chabad to see one more candle lit, blazing for the world to see. In spite of hatred, shootings, gassings, genocide, the lights shine forth.
eight candles blazing
in the winter’s cold night –
light overcomes hate
kanzen sakura 
Dec 02, 2018 @ 19:43:06
I like that you drive by each evening to see the candles giving light to the world. Yes in spite of all the darkness and evil in the world, a little light can make a difference in the dark. Your haiku sums it up very well!
Dec 02, 2018 @ 19:48:14
Thank you. I have my personal menorah but I love to see the huge public one lit every night. People in the neighborhood of the Chabad walk to see it every night, being good Hassidic Jews and not driving during their holiday.
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Dec 02, 2018 @ 19:51:19
Very interesting!
Dec 02, 2018 @ 20:26:58
Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #8: Toni’s latest #haibun for my current #haikai challenge!
Dec 02, 2018 @ 22:22:12
Beautiful. Your haibun sends such a clear and powerful message.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 06:45:53
It’s a lovely symbolic gesture.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 06:57:42
And a religious one as well. I love Hanukah and in this time of renewed anti-Semitism, it is important
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 08:02:25
I’m not sure anti-Semitism ever went away.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 08:13:16
No it didn’t. It just becomes more blatant at sometimes
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 08:41:38
There has been a big upsurge in anti-Semitic crimes here, low key violence, and it comes from the Muslims mainly. In France there’s a policy of not naming the religious or ethnic background of a criminal but it’s got too recurrent for it not to have become a recognised problem.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 09:58:46
Here it is the neo-nazis. On one hand I would like security at my temple but n the other haand…
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 10:17:41
It seems to me that if we’ve reached the point where public and private buildings need protecting from violent nut jobs, it’s time to revise the ideology of society. Something is obviously not working.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 10:59:52
No it isn’t. Our ideal of free speech coupled with a president who drips hatred is dangerous. State buildings have had security for years. Churches and synagogues, no. A Cambodian church near me has had armed security but only because the members are survivors of Khmer Rouge and are nervous and slightly paranoid, with reason
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 11:21:51
Government buildings, courtrooms places that represent the state or have dangerous criminals going back and forth (some people might see them as the same population) have to be protected. There are always people with a personal grudge against the state, but schools, hospitals, churches? Madness.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 11:23:24
Yes it is madness. We live in evil times
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 11:30:46
We have mob rule, reminiscent of 1792…
Dec 03, 2018 @ 07:46:54
Lovely, Toni. I like that you drive by each night to see the public menorah, as well as having your own. I didn’t even see this prompt from Frank, but I fried latkes and we lit our candles last night.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 08:14:40
I like hearing that! Mmm latkes. Am I weird that I mix sour cream and apple sauce?
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 08:41:04
Not weird to me. I usually mix them on my plate. 🙂 I decided to try something different though last night, and I made cranberry sauce to go with them.
Dec 03, 2018 @ 09:59:12
That sounds yummy!
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Dec 03, 2018 @ 13:46:35
It was!