Macklind International welcomes Russian Jewish Refugees as they celebrate Hannukah, the festival of lights.  

The nine-branched menorah or hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.   Although historians debate the causes and outcomes of the war in which Judah Maccabee and his followers defeated the Syrian armies of Antiochus, there is no doubt that Hanukkah evokes stirring images of Jewish valor against overwhelming odds. Other themes rooted in the observance of the holiday include the refusal to submit to the religious demands of an empire practicing idolatry, the struggle against total assimilation into Hellenistic culture and loss of Jewish identity, and the fight for Jewish political autonomy and self-determination. – See more at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/hanukkah-history#sthash.6BuJBo5A.dpuf

For Russian Jewish refugees, this holiday is a reminder of days when during the Soviet Union rule, Jews were forced to hide their identity and were forbidden from practicing their religion.  The passport of a citizen of the USSR listed nationality “Jewish” and that one line prevented many from realizing their professional dreams.  What a relief it is to know that one can celebrate without fear and be proud of their heritage.