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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle. Thursday. December 7. Page Fifteen 1978 Electric star ofDavid w 6fi(cfn Less tradition in Hannuka "Happy Hannuka," says the host as we enter a brightly decorated front room, the corner of which is slacked with wrapped gifts. Above the presents hangs a banner repeating the host's message. "We had a Hannuka Bush last year, but you know how the needles fall off and make a mess," he said. Christmas and Hannuka. In many people's minds, the two are fused. Indeed, the celebration of Hannuka has become, in many Jewish homes, virtually identical with the Christian Christmas celebration. The eight-da- y holiday commemorates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees over their Syrian oppressors in 167 B.C. It was long celebrated by the lighting of candles, one for each of the eight days and in many homes it still is. In others, however, the candle-lightin- g has been replaced by gift giving; some Jewish families have a tradition of opening one gift each night of the festival. Another local family even displays an electric star of Dav id from the balcony of its south Salt Lake condominium during the holiday season. Jewish leaders attempted to downplay the importance of Hannuka. Now, ironically, it n has become one of the Jewish holidays. A consumer festival But if Hannuka has changed, Bergman said, so has Christmas. "It's a great tragedy that w hat has got to be the highpoint of the Christian year has instead become a holiday to consume material objects," he said. According to Bergman, the "great consumer festival" that Christmas has become must be, to believing Christians, "a rather grotesque caricature of what the holiday really is meant to celebrate." And Jews are just as guilty as Christians, he said. "With Hannuka, Jews seem to have said, 'We can bastardize a holiday better than the Christians,' and many have." Return to tradition And yet, a reverse trend has become apparent in recent years, a return to the traditional, spiritual ways of celebrating Hannuka, Bergman said. "In prior generations, there was a much greater sense of insecurity," he said. "There was a fear of saying, 'Yes, we're different.'" Bergman said he feels that in the last 20 years, Americans have grown considerably in their ability to accept differences among Jewish Christmas "Hannuka has now become the Jewish Christmas," said Rabbi Abner Bergman of Salt Lake's Kol Ami Synagogue. Bergman said the trend has many Jewish leaders upset. "Hannuka was always a very minor holiday the most minor, perhaps," he said. "It was not a time the Jews gave gifts." In fact, Bergman said, Hannuka was actually something of an embarrassment for Jews. "The victory of the Maccabees was an embarrassment," he said. "The dynasty we set up was just as despotic as the one we had overthrown." For 2,000 years, according to Bergman, 00DO88SXi8 fjCOO (i(f(sViQ(sJ ,0 best-know- (fiK&cgd) uoxut fill D . llHflCi vJI IUi ll.t,!l lit ifinilMI people. "We're seeing it in the Chicano movement, the black movementand among Jews," he said. "People are standing up and saying, 'this is what I am.'" According to Bergman, the return to spiritual values can be seen among Christians, also, as more younger families turn away from the commercialized aspect of Christmas season. "It's a trend I hope very much to see continued," he said. Holiday tournaments spice excitement recipe for 8 o b-b- all by DAVE HOSICK Chronicle staff The recipe for Christmas basketball enjoyment calls for an extended trip (preferably to a warm climate), four or eight college basketball teams, a large helping of basketball excitement and participated in the tournament could be matched nowhere in the country. The 1955 tournament was the scene for a classic combat between San Francisco and d teams in Holy Cross, two of the the country. In the final seconds, the Holy Cross center, a crewcutted lad named Tom Heinson, launched a shot towards the rim which Bill Russell, the great San Francisco center, blocked. San Francisco won the game and 10 weeks later captured the NCAA championship. Russell and Heinsohn went on to become teammates during the years of the great Boston Celtic dynasty. The 1857 clash between the Universities of Cincinnati and Iowa was also a classic. The great game paired Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati and Don Nelson of Iowa in a pitched defensive battle. Cincinnati won the contest by three points. Probably the greatest game in the tournament's history was in 1961, when defending NCAA champion Ohio State battled unbeaten St. Bonaventure. Ohio State started John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas and Larry Signed, who all went on to stardom in" the National Basketball Association. St. Bonaventure was led by Tom Stith and Fred Crawford. lead Ohio State maintained a through much of the first half as Havlicek and Lucas kept the pressure on the Bonnies. The second period was a classic struggle, as St. Bonaventure's Stith went to work on the bigger Lucas inside. His twisting and turning assortment of shots gave Lucas fits until he fouled out with a few minutes left. thriller which . Ohio State won the, 2 fans still talk about. In 1964, Bill Bradley of Princeton took on d Michigan almost by himself. His soft" touch! fiwS'- 6iiiiide combined with ; bruising inside play tqlkeep the game close until he fouled ouSTnc dominant play of Michigan's Bill Buritin and Cazzie Russell " C then overwhelmed, Princeton. ' top-ranke- generous quantities of fan support. Mix all the ingredients, add proper spices like warm ocean water, slot machines and exciting sightseeing tours, and keep the excitement and activities cooking for a three- - to seven-da- y period. The end result will be an exciting college basketball holiday tournament which will generate fan support, tourist trade and excitement to any place in the country. If names make tournaments successful, then pollsters ought to keep their eyes of the Spider Classic in Richmond, Va., the Pacemaker Classic in Monroe, La., the Seawolf Classic in Anchorage, Alaska, the Boilermaker Preview in Lafayette, Ind., the Cable Car Classic in San Francisco, Calif., and the Wolfpack Classic in Reno, Nev. Defending national champion Kentucky will host its own Kentucky Invitational December 22 and 23. Syracuse, Texas AfcM and Illinois will join Kentucky in the tournament. Around the Western Athletic Conference, the recent trend has been to host your own tournament. This gives you the chance to show off your city and facilities to visiting spectators and also to pick up additional revenue for the school. The Utes will host the Utah Classic December 15 and 16, Brigham Young will htost the Cougar Classic December 8 and 9, New Mexico will host the Lobo Invitational December 29 and SO, Texas-E- I Paso will host the Sun Carnival December 28 and 29, San Diego State will host the Cabrillo Classic December 29 and 30 and ' Hawaii will host the Rainbow 'Qassi? five-poi- EASON'S EADINGS nt Books, Greeting Cards, 1979 Calendars, UNICEF Christmas ; Cards... 84-8- t top-ranke- er December 27 to 30. The other way to makeiports enthusiasts go crazy is to combine a football bowl game with a holiday basketball tournament. The In 1963, irnmy; Walkerpf Providence" Bluebonnet Basketball Classic coincides scored 50 points to break., "the H6liday with the Bluebonnet bowl game, the Gator. e record. His Classic coincides with jhe Gator Bowl, the ;'(, Festival single-gamBowl "V magnificent display of outside"'" Sun Carnival coincided with the Sun of . marksmanship will bje remembered as one the and the Fiesta CI assies coincides with " the great performances of all time, v Fiesta Bowl. Each is planned around a week-lon- g ; c calendar of Activities 'featuring'' Festival has been on the decline the ' Holiday could want. fan a everything sports past 10 years. Increased costs and dwindling Fifteen or 20 years ago, the Holiday ' fan support have reduced the tournament Festival in New York's Madison Square field to four teams. Garden was the king of college basketball The gTeat moments of the past Holiday holiday tournaments. It was the highlight of Festivals rekindle the fondest memories of the Christmas season for basketball fans. dreams among basketball fans in the most The tickets were sold out months in advance of the year. time joyous and the showcase of talent which i- c-- -- , ari3 Iam K fife to sit by... 1. - : .J king Owl Book Cornfsamy 1260 East 4th South Like.sojmany:'-oiher;"'tournamenis,Vthe,- 582-732- WE TAKE 3 ;7"" MASTERCHARGE "' AND VISA |