CH - Chanukah

CH - Chanukah

When I was in 6th Grade in Germany one of my Teachers assigned each of us a Winter Holiday to do a presentation on. She gave me Chanukah. While I was giving my presentation to the class she flipped-out and started yelling that Chanukah could not have a "CH" in it (only an "H.) She gave me an F and told me to redo it all (Note: I had never had an F before then.)

I went to my Mom's Office after school to complain (about my Grade.) My Mom's Friend and Co-Worker - who happened to be Jewish - told me she had a book at her house where Chanukah was spelt with a "CH" on the cover. She gave it to me and I brought the book and the same poster board I had used for my first presentation to class and tried to redo the same presentation.

When the Teacher again complained about the "CH" I showed her the book and told her my Jewish friend had given it to me. The teacher went off. She threw the book across the classroom and started yelling about how it didn't matter how Chanukah was spelt since it was a made-up holiday and shouldn't be celebrated. She then went on about how the Jews were evil and against God's plan and were never to be trusted. She kept my F and threw me out of class.

I walked right to my Mom's Office and was very upset. I told her what happened and she got right on the phone with the Principal and when the School tried to cover things up my Mom got the Stars and Stripes Newspaper involved as well as our members of Congress.

In the end (because of all the attention my Mom brought to this incident) the Teacher was found to be highly Anti-Semitic and made to go to the Dachau Concentration Camp the next school year - not as a Chaperone, but as a Student. My F was turned into an A (after another Teacher, the Principal, the Base Commander and my Mom heard me give my Chanukah presentation.)

I have to admit that when I was in 6th Grade I was more concerned with getting the F than anything else.

My Mom explained what happened and why it was wrong to be anti-Jewish and why I needed to focus on that part of the problem as it was the most important part and not the F part.

For several decades in a row this year I proudly spell Chanukah with a “CH” to help me remember that there are still many people around the world who are Anti-Jewish (Anti-Semitic) and that whether you are Jewish or not you have to stand-up for what is right and help when you can - - just like my Mom did.