RELIGION HEADLINES FRI 12-12

Audio By Carbonatix

(SRN NEWS)-

(  )  Jews around the world will come together to celebrate, share gifts and eat traditional foods as the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins on Sunday night.  Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the center of ancient Judean worship, in 164 B.C.  It had been defiled by the Hellenistic king Antiochus (an-TYE-uh-cuss) the Fourth and was recaptured by Jewish forces.  Judean culture had been influenced by the Greeks, but Antiochus attempted to quash Judean religious distinctiveness altogether. This led to a rebellion by the Hasmonean (has-moh-NEE-ahn) family, better known as the Maccabees.

(  )  Bruce Blakeman, a Republican county official in New York City’s Long Island suburbs, is running for governor.  Blakeman, the executive of Nassau County, has gained attention for championing a policy that bans men from playing on women’s sports teams that use county sports facilities.  He has also barred men from women’s locker rooms.  A judge recently upheld the ban but the New York Civil Liberties Union is appealing that decision.  Blakeman is also known for establishing a volunteer law enforcement unit and directing county police detectives to work alongside federal authorities in President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

(  )  A Gay Pride flag has been moved to a new location inside England’s Tottenham soccer stadium for the Champions League match against Sparta Prague following a request from the Czech team.  The Progress Pride flag is constantly displayed in the north-east corner of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, close to the area of the stands where visiting fans sit.  For the match against the Czechs, the flag is in the south-west corner of the stadium.  Tottenham officials say they agreed to the Czech team’s request on safety grounds.  Organizers of Europe’s various soccer leagues are meeting backlash as they proceed with efforts to promote the LGBT agenda.

(  )  Religious celebrations are powering a surge in seafood sales in this country.  In recent years, the Italian-American custom of the Feast of the Seven Fishes has grown in popularity.  The meal is intended as a vigil, the last moment of Advent before Jesus is born.  Americans of Eastern European descent often want carp on Christmas Eve while others want salt cod for Christmas dinner.  Meanwhile, internet searches for seafood dishes are also strong around Jewish holidays.  Searches related to Hanukkah are up 65 percent, while those tied to Rosh Hashanah are up more than 300 percent and Yom Kippur seafood searches have increased 250 percent.