Jewish families in Dallas gathered under tight security on Thursday evening to light a large menorah at Klyde Warren Park. They marked the fifth night of Hanukkah with music and dancing, just days after a deadly shooting at a similar celebration in Sydney that resulted in the deaths of 15 people.
Hundreds attended the annual event, hosted by Intown Chabad and Rabbi Mendy Plotkin, which organizers described as the city’s largest Hanukkah observance.
The gathering gained added meaning amid the recent mass shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Australia, prompting some families to stay home out of caution, while others viewed participation as vital.
“Tonight is the most important Hanukkah of our modern times,” Plotkin told the crowd, CBS News reported.
Dallas police, including SWAT teams, joined private guards and members of the Jewish security group Shomer Texas to protect the site.
“We have covert and overt security personnel walking through the crowd, watching people’s hands,” said Mordi Isakov, a training director with the organization.
Isakov stressed the personal stakes. “Our wives, our kids are here,” he said. “We’re protecting them — and we’ll be the first line of defense.”
Security guard Adam, who gave only his first name, echoed the sentiment.
“I’m a parent, it’s hard to fathom raising kids in a world where people hate them just because of who we are. So being able to do our part, my part, to keep our community safe makes it all that more important,” he told Fox 4 KDFW.
Rabbi Zvi Drizin of Intown Chabad, who knew one of the Sydney victims, highlighted the evening’s symbolism.
“Fundamentally, the fifth night of Hanukkah is the first night of Hanukkah where the light is more light than the darkness, so we go over to the next side. So it’s significant really in that this is where the light is stronger than the darkness,” he said, Fox 4 reported.
In remarks to attendees, Drizin underscored perseverance.
“We are stronger than the forces that are trying to kill us. We are stronger than the forces that are trying to marginalize us, and light overcomes evil, always,” he said.
Plotkin framed the event as resistance.
“For us, this is a statement to the terror and to those trying to spread evil in this world,” he said, CBS reported. “We are not going to back down. We are not going to be swallowed by the darkness.”
Dallas city leaders addressed the crowd in solidarity.
Participants like Quique Nifco appreciated the protections.
“Makes me feel like there’s that commitment in the community. Regardless of religion, there’s a commitment for keeping each other safe, but we’re always going to be alert,” he said, per Fox 4.
Jennifer Lieberman viewed the observance as reclaiming heritage. “It’s just a testament that we still endure and that’s what Hanukkah was. It was a rededication of our temple, taking back our identity, and I feel like now, more than ever, we have to be loud and proud,” she said.
Ellie Aviel, there with her family, called the violence “heartbreaking.”
“But we are few, and we have to stick together and stay strong,” she said, according to CBS News.
Her relative Jeremiah Aviel added, “We have to continue being who we are. Otherwise, they would win.”
As the menorah glowed, Plotkin urged action.
“You have to be a menorah. You have to be a light,” he said, per CBS News. “You have to shine, be positive, and do good in this world.”
In Australia, the prime minister has called for broadening hate speech laws and stiffer penalties for hate crimes in response to the attack.
