For the 41st year in a row, the community came together to light a menorah on Boston Common for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
"Light has a special quality," said Rabbi Chaim Prus of Chabad of Downtown Boston, which hosted the event Wednesday, the first of Hanukkah's eight nights. "Light pushes away the darkness naturally."
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The holiday marks a time of rededication and celebrates religious freedom and freedom from oppression.
"Hanukkah is particularly poignant for Jews this year," said Sophie Krentzman of Combined Jewish Philanthropies. "It commemorates a moment when Jews were fighting for their safety, security and values, just as we are now."
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Countless communities ushered in the holiday Wednesday evening, including Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline, where a menorah was lit on the front steps of the synagogue along Harvard Street.
"The message is, 'A little light dispels a lot of darkness,'" said KI's Rabbi William Hamilton. "Our world, as we enter 2025, looks forward to a lot of light, finishing strong."
While this is a festival, some in the community say it's difficult to rejoice at a time when Israel is at war, and there are still hostages being held in Gaza, 14 months after Israel was attacked.
"Since we last gathered, 100+ people are still being held hostage underground in horrendous conditions, including American citizens, and they have been abandoned by most of the world," said Robert Trestan of the Anti-Defamation League.
But Jewish community members say, despite the precarious situation Israel finds itself in, along with the rise in antisemitism worldwide, nothing will stop annual traditions like Hanukkah from being honored and celebrated.
"By lighting this menorah today, that is saying we are here," said Dina Silberberg of Beacon Hill. "We are not giving up."
