My Arab Friend Morgan’s Menorah and Me

About 25 years ago, I met a new friend at work by the name of Morgan. She was very interesting and very intelligent and, as it turned out, she was a Palestinian Arab. She was also a Christian. One day, she came to work and told me, “I have a little present for you. I hope you can use it and I hope you will accept it.” It was a Hanukkah menorah.

I asked her why she was giving me this particular present. It turns out she had bought it for herself, just because she liked it. But when she came home with the menorah, her mother had a minor fit. “Get that Jewish thing out of this house!” she shouted. Morgan did not want to throw it out, so she decided to give it to me — a good Jewish girl and a devoted Hadassah member (we had been talking to each other about our lives).

I have been using that menorah every single Hanukkah since then and, every time I speak to Morgan, I remind her that I think about her all the time.

Though I have been retired for quite a while, Westchester County Environmental Labs, where Morgan and I worked, invites me twice a year to its Christmas and summer parties.

I have a few more anecdotes about Morgan: When she invited me to her wedding, I found out that her family was not happy with the groom because while, like her, he was Christian, unlike her he was Irish Catholic.

At Morgan’s wedding, there were two bands. One played traditional American music to dance by and a Middle Eastern band, complete with bouzouki and drums, played Middle Eastern music while we danced belly dancing steps, but in couples. Morgan’s uncle even asked me afterwards, “Where did you learn to dance like that?” I told him that I took lessons and am a trained belly dancer.

At this wedding, the guests threw money at the musicians and at the belly dancers. Then the waiters swept up the money into a pile and distributed to the musicians and everyone went home happy. We can all certainly appreciate each other’s cultures.

By the way, the marriage to the Irishman didn’t last. Maybe mothers are right?

Soon another Hanukkah is coming. Happy holidays to all. Once again, I look forward to lighting “Morgan’s menorah.”

Miriam is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place, to celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and to share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts.  Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 450 columns in the Times of Israel Blog and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org..