Despite heavy hearts after more than a dozen people were killed in Australia at a Chabad Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, a handful of Chabad Hanukkah events planned for Sunday night went off without a hitch, but with an increase in security.
“It’ll be bigger and better,” said Rabbi Menachem Feller of Chabad in St. Paul Sunday afternoon prior to the menorah lighting at the State Capitol. Feller said that they have partnered with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas on security, and were in touch with Ramsey County Sheriff Department and St. Paul Police Department. “Not that I think there’s a threat, but it will make people feel better.”
In addition to the State Capitol menorah lighting, public events were held in Mendota Heights, in St. Paul on Grand Avenue, and Edina; the first three were organized by local Chabad chapters, and the latter by the city of Edina.
“There was an outpouring of love and sympathy and care from so many who reached out to say how sorry they were, and to express support and desire to be there for the community,” said Mac-Groveland Chabad Rabbi Tzemach Feller, whose group put on the event on Grand Avenue. Feller said that people wanted to know what security measures were in place, and he assured them that appropriate measures had been in the works for several months.
“We do this publicly and invite the public every year,” he said. “The JCRC is always a wonderful ally to make sure the community is safe, and we can do these events.”
Tzemach Feller, who is the son of Menachem Feller, said that several rabbis had a discussion about how to proceed with their plans.
“The consensus locally and nationally was that we have to do events even more strongly and proudly than we already do,” he said. “The terrorists want us to be afraid.”
St. Paul Mayor-Elect Kaohly Her lit the shamash, and St. Paul’s Jewish City Councilmember Rebecca Noecker lit the first candle.
Before lighting her candle, Noecker talked about the rabbinic debate about whether there should be one new candle lit each night, or all the candles should be lit the first night and reducing the number each night.
“As someone who’s about to stand up on that ladder, I’m really glad the argument that you light only one the first night won out,” Noecker said to laughs from the crowd. “But the reason why that won out, as many of us know, is because we always want to be growing the light. And thinking about the horrific events in Sydney today and so many that we’ve encountered all over the world, we are here to spread that light and to spread that love, as the mayor-elect said so beautifully.”
Feller had contacted Mayor-Elect Her shortly after her victory in November, and he always appreciates when elected officials take the opportunity to show support for the Jewish community.
“I’m impressed with our Jewish community,” Tzemach Feller said. “[Last night] was an opportunity to be proud Jews and proud Minnesotans.”
Chabad of Greater St. Paul put on the “Light Up Mendota Heights” event, and Rabbi Zalman Bendet said the event drew nearly 200 people, and they had received many RSVPs Sunday morning as news of the shooting in Sydney spread. He said people told him that they came as a show of defiance.
“People who were going to come anyway made a point to invite their network – both Jews and non-Jews. It was very heart-warming to see,” Bendet said.
With all of the public Hanukkah events, Bendet thinks there was a direct association between the local events and the one that led to the terrorist attack.
“It was a public event and the same organization that was organizing the event that happened in Sydney,” he said. “It’s an important event that has become an international trend to take to the streets and have a celebration in the public square. For many people, the fact that this is the same type of celebration by affiliates of Chabad was a strong factor in their decision to attend.”
Both Rabbis Feller and Bendet all talked about the parallels to the terror attack with the story of Hanukkah.
“If we’re concerned, it’s not time to hide under our beds; it’s time to be strong, faithful, and proud. No one will deter us,” said Rabbi Menachem Feller. “And it’s the same message of Hanukkah. The Greeks wanted to deter our devotion and focus from God and living a life of Torah. And just like the Maccabees refused to give in to the Greeks and Hellenists, we refuse to give in to this opposition. We will continue to strengthen our efforts until we usher in peace on this earth.”
Happy to report that this was the 3rd year that Wayzata also had a Chanukah lighting! We had support from JCRC, Chabad of Minnetonka, and the City of Wayzata. We had a wonderful turnout. There were complimentary sufganiyot, cider and cocoa, and a “gelt drop” from a city firetruck ladder truck.