Hanukkah

I was delighted to read that immigrant children are learning about America’s religious diversity and freedom through the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Emergency Immigrant Education Program at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple (Dec. 16).

However, I disagree with school district coordinator Lila Silvern’s explanation of the significance of Hanukkah. Yes, it is a special festival, but it is not a holiday that “little Jewish children celebrate instead of Christmas.” It is a celebration of the Maccabee victory over Hellenism and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem that occurred many years before the birth of Jesus. Because of its proximity to Christmas, its significance as a minor holiday has been blown out of proportion.

PETER M. SMALL

Whittier