Did you hear about the undefeated high school football team from Southern California? Not so unusual, except that the teamand coaches are all deaf. After a long string of losing seasons, the California School for the Deaf in Riverside went undefeated this season, and, for the first time in the school’s history, is vying for the division championship. Go Cubs!
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights begins at sundown tonight and is celebrated with eight days of nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods. Interestingly, Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible but only in the books of Maccabees, making it less important than the major Jewish holy days like Passover, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah. This may come as a surprise to onlookers, who see the convenient amalgamation of “The Holidays,” allowing us to overlook the more significant religious observations. In fact the Jewish holy days of import fall throughout the school year bestowing a regular struggle on students who must choose between observing the holiday and being in school, attending sports, or other extracurricular events.