From the pen of Dennis Prager:

Only in America does a president light a menorah while a Jewish choral group sings Hebrew songs and the Marine band plays American songs. Only in America do Jews feel so honored as Jews and yet so completely part of the larger culture, fully Jewish and fully part of the greater nationality. Non-American Jews (including even Canadians) are often amazed at how completely American Jews in the U.S. feel. We take it for granted, but as a former college lecturer in Jewish history, I know that this is unique.

Money quote:

As for the belief that “Democrat” means caring for the poor and the downtrodden, that simplistic equation is also losing its hold. Younger Jews are becoming aware that there are many ways to help the poor, not just liberal ones, and that liberal “social justice” rhetoric often masks personal narcissism, as reflected in the lesser amounts of charity given by liberals than conservatives and the refusal of most liberals to welcome sacrifice in spreading liberty.

So it was quite a night, that Hanukkah night at the White House, with hundreds of fellow Jews from all over the U.S., from ultra-Orthodox to ultra-secular, celebrating America, its Judeo-Christian value system and its Republican president. Increasingly the White House’s greatest challenge will be how to narrow the Hanukkah party list to just 200.