Amidst the hectic weeks preceding Chanukah, Rabbi Schlomo found a small window of time to visit his mentor, Rabbi Erim. The young Rabbi was surprised to see how much his old pal had aged- Erim’s hair looked thinner, skin duller, and eyes less alert Nonetheless, excited Schlomo spoke to Erim thus:
“My dear friend, I have missed your acquaintance so. Synagogue is not the same without you leading. In fact, I fear our Chanukah display may not even survive this year. The Church that has the plot next to us on at the holiday fair decided to host a Christmas Light Circus this year, and their decorations distract from ours wholly. No one notices our Jewish display, and I feel it is quickly becoming ineffective. But before you think about this mess, I must ask you- why have you not let me visit you?”

Rabbi Erim sat quietly for a moment, reflecting on the younger man’s words, and responded:
“Schlomo! Quickly, go to the fair and ask for a refund for our plot. Clean up any preparations the group has begun. Pack the decorations and get out of that fairground, for you have tried your best there. Our congregation used to be the star of the holiday fair for many a year. People came to view our display and learn about the miracles of Chanukah. But those days have passed, and you all have exhausted all possibilities trying to save our presentation. What you must do now is scour the city for a new location. This process may take a while, but I am confident it will be fruitful. When you find the new location, share the news with our congregation. Move the Chanukah to this place, and allow it to thrive like I know it will.”

So Schlomo thanked Rabbi Erim for his sage, albeit hasty, words of wisdom and left. The young Jew packed all the traditional décor and prayed quickly for G-d to help him in this journey.