It was the phrase that kept our hopes alive during history's harshest times...
47 Comments Posted
It doesn't usually happen, but I have tears of pride actually streaming down my face! Thanks for sharing the inspiration!!
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Great job... keep up the good work!
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Great to see Chabad and Pres-elect Obama in unison with Hope. Yes We Can! Si Se Puede! Miracles of light can push through darkness and we have plenty to be hopeful for in the future.
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Go to www.barackobama.com and you can purchase "Yes We Can" buttons!
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I am a big fan of the Obama version of this video, but I like this a lot too. I got quite a kick out of it!
I am proud of my country for being a place where Jews can indeed light their Menorahs in public and where we are free to practice our religion. Yes we can indeed! And I greatly look forward to a little more separation of church and state under this new administration, so that we can keep this great country's great promise to all its people for generations to come.
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Because of what He has done, now, yes we can!
With G-d, nothing is impossible!
What G-d requires, He provides!
Our purpose is to glorify Him. How can we add anything to He who is complete? He created us for His pleasure. We glorify G-d when He sees his reflection in our deeds and character!
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How beautiful! How heartbreaking! Obviously unaffiliated Jews talking about their affinity with Chanukah.
I would have liked to see some more obviously mainstream Jews in there with the others. We're all the same, you know, all brothers and sisters.
We'd be honored to be included.
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Thank you for sending this to me. So many people assimilate and celebrate Christmas even though they aren't Christian. I heard the stories of 2 coworkers today (both non-Jewish) and how they felt pressured to assimilate when they came to this country because they felt outnumbered. They said they felt that their children were disadvantaged because they weren't getting a ton of gifts like the other kids at school. Instead of teaching their children that they had the freedom to be who they are, they assimiliated to the Christmas ritual - and one they still admit to not understanding! How sad!
When I was asked about why I did not celebrate Christmas, I told them that it's because we do not have to assimilate to feel fulfilled or find acceptance in this country. I felt proud that we choose to celebrate Chanukah and will pass this lesson to my toddler as she grows up. Happy Chanukah!
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Of course we can
With help g-d and the power of Torah and prayers we cannnnn
Happy Chanuka all.
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The video is beautiful and uplifting. I'm surprised that one of the other viewers thought that the people in the video were "obviously unaffiliated Jews." I never made that assumption while I watched. For anyone affiliated with Jewish outreach, Chabad or not, you learn that Jews come in all shapes, colors or sizes. All of the women dress modestly in the video and speak without singing. Many of the men (though not all) have their heads covered the entire time they appear on screen, even if not with a kippah. A Jew is a Jew and you can't just make an assumption about their commitment just looking at them. They are stepping up to the plate to encourage people to participate in a mitzvah this Chanukah. Kol Hakavod!
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Chanukah doesn't need a slogan, imho. Obama has not mentioned Chanukah as prez elect. If he can, he hasn't this year.
This year should be a tribute Chanukah for the many orphans in Israel, not a distortion of who is the sitting US Prez this Chanukah, imho, if the message is going to be political.
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Thank you Chabad , Until this year I had no reason or interest to light a Menorah , But now thanks to all of the inspiring emails and videos, I have recieved over the course of this year That I finally feel like I am part of the religion my ancestors so faithfully held on to, And with this gift that I was given, Of being a part of the chosen nation In which We light Menorah : I say Yes I can ; Light the Menorah
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Moses said a lot. A lot about standing up and changing things for the better. And he didn't just say it. He did it. He showed the world that the impossible is possible. He took a nation of slaves to freedom, and the world hasn't been the same since. Because now we know that we don't have to be slaves to the world around us. We are free to change. No one can tell us that we can't. So many have changed the world, and there will be many more to come. It was Moses who taught us how, who taught us that yes, we can.
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Where are the older people? There need to be older people in this video, especially older women. Other than that...quite good.
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When we associate Chanukah with any secular personality we diminish its greatness. Chanukah commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. If anything, it serves to remind us that our time resembles Herodian and Hellenistic decadence; and if we are to be truly free we must stand tall and recall the ethics of our founding fathers of these United States of America and not our time of greed and corruption.
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On one hand you say you are proud of the U.S.for being a place where Jews can light menorahs in public. Then you go on to say that you "look forward to more separation of church and state." That doesn't make sense.
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naive, foolish and copycat of an irrelevant slogan
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Among many things, Chanukah is about the recovery, restoration, and rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees after its desecration. In essence, it is the commemoration of a revolt against injustice. That fight was a fight to uphold and protect G-d given rights and duties. Today, everywhere, those rights are skillfully under attack in ways not even imagined. In stealth, new methods are used and awareness is redirected. History, often in whispers, repeats itself.
The question is; 'Yes we can' what?... Look away? Accept slow-mo demise via soft kill? Stay willfully ignorant?
If you light a light, let it be one of awareness and knowledge of what is really going on around you. History does not have to repeat itself...
Or does it?
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I had to sing Christmas carols in public school here in America. There were no Chanukah songs sung in music class. After public school, I went to Hebrew School. This video brings tears of joy when I can see big menorahs in public places.
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With G-d's help -- "Yes we Will"
Jeremiah 23:3 "And I Will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and Will bring them back to their folds"
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We are all united wherever we are, in the Diaspora, in Israel. Remember, be inspired and understand that the only limitations we have are G-d's choice.
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I, too, was feeling moved... until the point where it became a commercial for Chabad. Of course, given the website I viewed this on, I'm sure that was the intent OF the clip. As someone who has done some work in the advertising world, I can tell Chabad that this would have been more effective if there had been no mention OF Chabad during the piece.
As far as politization, while I agree that Chanukah doesn't need it, I believe that Obama's words became a call to a movement, rather than a simple ad slogan, and for many, these words have now transcended poilitics. If our leaders inspire us, that is a GOOD thing. It is no fault of the President-elect's that his predecessor was incapable of such things - does Chabad need to co-opt the phrase? Perhaps, "it couldn't HURT!"
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Chabad has just alienated the 22% of Jews who voted against Obama - this is not inspiring. It's sad. We are not to imitate the ways of others, yet here Chabad is imitating the entire political campaign of someone with close ties to terrorists and antisemites.
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This was a wonderful video! Thanks Chabad for helping my family and me to learn and enjoy the miracle of Hanukkah.
Happy Hanukkah!!
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I am not surprised by the advertisement. I am bothered by the co-opting of a such a monumental political campaign presented by Obama. I would suggest you try to be more original in presentation. As for the "links with terrorists" comment, I remind the writer that casting inaccurate negativity does little to advance a cause either.
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I was rather shocked and disappointed that specifically Chabad was unable to find a JEWISH source of inspiration for a Chanukah message....! This reminded me of a Reebok or Nike or Coca-Cola commercial...but with a particularly American political message---and a rather shallow and simplistic one at that.... Something relating to Chanukah's deeper meaning would have been MUCH more appropriate....I guess living in Israel has made me aware that American Jews are much more American than Jewish...!!!
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I like how there are a lot of differnet kinds of candles saying one message
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Yes We Can Without Saying No.
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The clip is cute, and gets the Chanukah message out in a contemporary way that people recognize. It's not co-opting or imitating, it's tongue in cheek. I didn't vote for Obama, and loved it. Relax, people!
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What a wonderful video. Thank you for going to the trouble to make it to remind all of us that we are able to celebrate religious freedom in our countries. Those of you who comment on the difference between Israeli Jews and American Jews..... well a Jew is a Jew. I live in a different country and that country's culture affects my lifestyle and my worldview. That's fact. You are not better Jew because you live in Israel. Thank you G-d that I can light the mennorah regardless of where I live.
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I want to live in the Light of Chanukah!
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This was amazing. Yes, it sounded like a campaign slogan. Yes, it resounded of commerciality. Yes, it was cheeeeeezyyy...BUT....We are forgetting the point. UNITY!!!!!! Only that is the beginning of Jewish happiness. Life in Union with G-d!!!
Moshiach is here and He's watching us.
Let’s all sing in one voice, dance in the same Hora, rejoice in the fact that they are all gone and we are still here, and will be forever...
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The moment Chabad blends into society instead of society blending into Chabad the message of Jewish holiness and the Godliness of Mitzvot will be gone.
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what a great clip! simple, clear message, in a creative way. great way to bring one of the messages of the Menorah to a broad audience!
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Thank you for showing that Jews come in all colors. I am a multiracial Jew, and I rarely get to see images that reflect my background. Thank you Chabad for heeding the call to reflect the growing Jew of color population in the United States. Yes we can be Jews in all colors.
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I would like to know where in the Talmud is the story of Chanukkah. I have read the entire story of the Macabees, but didn't find the part about the oil that lasted for eight days in order to clense the temple in Jerusalem at that time. My husband states the oil miracle is in the talmud. Please tell us where.
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Splendid. I admire the Jesiwh people for many reasons, and one is to know how to survive and prosper.
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i watched the original obama version on youtube and was awed by the brilliance of chabad's chanuka version. way too funny!! happy hanuka!!!
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The story about the oil is in the Talmud Tractate Shabbath page 21b
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for those comments that this video is not original, I happen to know for a fact that Rabbi Brysky, who is the Rabbi you see during the video, came up with this line in 2001. This is actually from his speech, and it was about Chanukah, after 9/11.
So in fact, this slogan is original for Chabad. If anything, it's the Obama campaign that wasn't original! :)
But really...who cares. It has a good message and promotes lighting chanukah candles, Jewish pride and Jewish unity. Thank you for making this beautiful video!
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Inspiring, colorful ! We can keep the light, transfer the light, increase the light...Yes, we must.
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Dear Angela K Safonoff, Peoria, AZ,
The article in Wikipedia on 'Hanukkah'
gives all the traditional sources of the Chanukah story (including Talmudic source)....Sorry--this site did not accept my post with the link in it, so just go to Wikipedia and spell Hannukkah as I have in this post...:-)...
Happy Chanukah!
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Please see this link for the sources for the holiday of Chanukah, they were collected by one of the scholars on our team of ask the rabbis and rebbetzins: Is Chanukah mentioned in the Torah?
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A good positive statement, don't appreciate using this particular one, as is to closely tied to recent political campain. Appears Chabad is politically tied to Obama.
No nat'l healthcare, death committes, abortion many issues that are not of life. If islam shuts off xtianity, when will it douse your menorah?
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I am against nationalized (socialist) health care in this counry. I am a capitalist. I am a conservative first! I am sad to see Chabad take a slogan from the Obama team. I did not vote for Obama as he is a leftist. He is the most liberal leader (if you can call him that) that we have ever had in this country. I feel more tied to Israel than the U.S. At least they have a conservative.
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