Chanukah 2025 was meant to be one of just joy, light and happiness, yet even before it has begun here, we were hit with the terrible news of the attack in Sydney.
This event hit so hard for all of us, and for us as close friends of the Schlanger Family, it has been a surreal week of pain, tears and grief as the stories of each victim, the wounded, including a good friend of my son, and the heroism all comes out.
Yet in all of that, as one side of our hearts carried so much pain and tears, the other side knew it is Chanukah, and we need to be joyful, strong, resilient, proud, and beacons of light.
We need to make the children laugh and have fun for Chanukah, the message of the Maacabees and the Miracle of the Oil and what it represents, needs to ring louder than ever.
I reached out to Rabbi Shmuli Schlanger, my classmate and close friend, the older brother of Eli, and he said to me, please add more programs and events, more light, and more Mitzvot to honor the memory of his brother and all the victims.
One of the hardest things I had to do this week, was share the news with daughter, as the schools had advised, that they should hear in a safe space.
We have a huge job to do, to be strong fighters for our people, to be modern day Maccabees on every level, to never give in to fear, to defend and protect ourselves as needed, and to charge forward with our mission of doing more Mitzvot, more goodness and kindness, and make sure Jewish people can be prouder than ever of who we are and what we represent.
One of the best things that I saw this week, was hundreds and hundreds of people showing up to all of our events. Nothing was going to keep them away!!!
Proud, Joyous, Strong & Determined to celebrate the Menorah and its message!
Whether it was in Sudbury Town Center with hundreds of people and dignitaries or Marlborough City Center with the Mayor, or the kickoff event at Chabad Sudbury, the teens, the seniors and more, the Jewish identity was burning brighter than ever.
A huge thank you to so many others who came to show support ro our community and the Jewish people!
On a personal note, we are so grateful for the hundreds of messages of support we have received this week. It means more than you can imagine.
We have three more nights of Chanukah and thank G-d for the first time ever, we were able to get permission to place a Menorah in Hudson Town Center. Join us this Sunday evening at 6pm for the 8th night of Chanukah to celebrate with joy and light!
Join us tomorrow for Shabbat Chanukah Services which is also Rosh Chodesh and for a special Kiddush, honoring all those who volunteer for security at Chabad of Sudbury throughout the year.
Shabbat Shalom & Happy Chanukah!!
Yisroel