September 18, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Ridgewood Menorah approved for village’s Van Neste Park by John Koster Rabbi Elyse Frishman, The Rev. John G. Hartnell, and Rabbi David Fine successfully supported the installation of a menorah at Van Neste Park this Chanukah season. Advisory board to host meeting The Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the first floor Garden Room of the Village of Ridgewood Municipal Building at 131 North Maple Avenue. Meetings are open to the public and provide a safe envi- ronment for community members who are experiencing or witnessing bias-related crime to be heard. Residents and employees of Glen Rock and Ridgewood who have expe- rienced bias intimidation, housing discrimination, racism, sexism, or an injustice based on their sexual orientation are encouraged to contact the board at crabnj@gmail. com. The Community Relations Advisory Board, appointed by the mayors of Ridgewood and Glen Rock, was created to overcome bias attitudes toward persons or groups based on their race, color, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual ori- entation. or disability. The volunteer board meets on the third Wednesday of the month. The Ridgewood Village Council has approved a meno- rah at Van Neste Park for Chanukah. The 5-0 vote took place last week after all but one of the speakers from the audience approved of the concept. “We don’t need to believe the same things, but we try to be good neighbors,” said The Reverend John G. Hartnell of Saint Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Ridgewood, who favored approving the menorah. “This is an opportunity I hope we will not miss.” “The menorah reflects the victory of freedom over a dictator from Syria,” Rabbi David Fine of Temple Israel said with dry humor. The original menorah lighted the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem after a persecution of Jews in 146 B.C. by a Greco-Syrian pagan monarchy. The temple, one of the greatest architectural sites of its era, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. after a revolt against Roman rule that failed. Rabbi Fine said there was no attempt at competition. He noted, “We respect the tradition of a Christmas tree where it is.” Rather, he said, the menorah, to be set up during the Jewish celebration of Chanukah in late Novem- ber and early December, would reflect the mutual respect of all religious groups in Ridgewood. Rabbi Elyse Frishman from Barnert Temple in Frank- lin Lakes concurred. “For many of us, this holiday is celebrated with the joyful light of the tree,” Rabbi Frishman said. “For many of us, it is celebrated with the graceful light of the meno- rah.” The only dissent came from Anne Diamond, a Ridgewood resident who felt that separation of church and state allowed display of religious objects on private or reli- gious property but not on public property. The menorah would be displayed on public property, as the traditional Christmas tree -- actually a seasonal rather than a reli- gious object such as a Nativity scene -- has been for many years. The other five or six residents, some observant Jews, some secular Jews, some from mixed Christian-Jewish families, one reading a letter from a Christian neighbor, all supported the menorah and the council approved the installation by unanimous vote.