The celebration came after a difficult year for Jewish communities dealing with antisemitism.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — One day after the mass murder of 15 Jewish people in Australia, members of the Central Pennsylvania Jewish community came together inside the Pennsylvania State Capitol to celebrate Hanukkah, joined by Governor Josh Shapiro.
The first two candles of the menorah were lit by Shapiro on the second night of Hanukkah during a gathering that also included singing and the sharing of traditional Hanukkah foods, such as latkes.
But amidst the glow of the Festival of Lights was an air of darkness, a darkness known all too well by the Commonwealth’s most prominent Jewish resident.
“Tonight, as we light this Chanukkiyah, we do so hoping that the candles will illuminate a bit brighter, that it will bring more light into our lives, given the darkness that we have experienced,” Shapiro said.
That darkness came to Shapiro’s own home in April, when an antisemitic attack on him and his family left the Governor’s Residence burned and nearly left his family murdered.
It also came to Australia on Sunday night, when 16 people were murdered during a Hanukkah gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in what authorities say appears to have been an attack on the Jewish community.
“It’s very painful,” said Rabbi Shmuel Pewzner, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Harrisburg. “Every loss of life is painful. They tried to take advantage and quell that celebration and tried to scare off and send a message to the rest of the world that we should cower and not celebrate Hanukkah.”
Even as antisemitism has grown around the world, the story of Hanukkah and the light that stayed aglow for eight nights during a time of turmoil, continues to resonate.
In a similar time of strife today, the symbol of eight lights on the menorah repelling the dark remains a source of hope for the Jewish community.
“The answer to that darkness is more light,” Shapiro said. “The answer to that is more pride in our faith. The answer to that darkness is to illuminate these for people who may not celebrate, but who walk by them and see them and learn from them and realize that we are in a wonderful Commonwealth, a Commonwealth envisioned by Penn where all will be welcome and all will be free to express their faith.”
“The more light we turn on, the brighter the world will become,” Pewzner said. “Because all it takes is one candle to dispel much darkness. So, if you add more and more light, the world will ultimately turn into a brighter place.”