Jewish Canadians will start to celebrate Hanukkah and light menorahs on Thursday to bring people together amid the rising antisemitism since the Israel-Hamas war.
Daniel Thau-Eleff, a Winnipeg-based playwright, will mark the holiday by celebrating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BC while they mourn current events.
Jewish Canadians Celebrate Hanukkah
Thau-Eleff released a statement for the upcoming celebration of Hanukkah and said, "It's a very happy and celebratory occasion, and I'm finding it hard to be happy these days. It'll probably be a challenge to just be happy and celebrate."
He expressed his grief for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, whom Israel attacked on the October 7 attack. He also extended his grief for the Israelis who were killed and taken hostage and used as bargaining chips.
Thau-Eleff noted that the rising antisemitism and Islamophobia caused extensive pain. He said there was a battle over what can and cannot be said, particularly on campuses, and showed his distress about the current events.
The menorah is a central symbol of the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, which celebrates the liberation of Jerusalem by a small group of Jewish fighters. The menorah was lit in the Holy Temple with a small amount of ritually pure oil, which stayed lit for eight days.
Even though Thau-Eleff struggles with his grief, he ensures he will light and display a menorah in his window. The menorah was usually placed where it could be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill.
Noah Shack, vice-president for countering antisemitism and hate with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, said in a message that Hanukkah was particularly resonant given the antisemitism incidents. He said part of the Hanukkah celebration was to publicize the miracle and the imperative and value of freedom in religion and identity to see the ability of who we can be.
Helena Elana Plachcinski, a Jewish, noted the importance of the holiday, which reminded her of the Jewish plight, and said, "We're still fighting. We're still fighting from the time that we were occupied by the Greeks, and we fought to keep our identity, which is our faith, and we didn't let go. And we won. We're here. So we won."
Jewish Canadians worry that they may be targeted for displaying religious symbols such as the menorah in the upcoming holiday. But Plachcinski said her fear and rising hate crimes would not stop her from lighting the candles in her front window.
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Rising Antisemitism in Canada
The police reported a rise in hate-motivated incidents, mostly antisemitic in Canada in recent months.
In Winnipeg, police investigated a rise in antisemitic graffiti in which houses were painted with a religious symbol near their front door and had their windows shot out late last month. In Montreal, Jewish institutions have been targeted in attempted arson, as two Jewish schools were shot.
Furthermore, Rabbi Jonathan Infeld with the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue said antisemitic attitudes have taken a toll on the mental health of the Jewish community in Vancouver.
Shack also heard some people have stopped wearing items such as jewelry with symbols that identify them as Jewish in public, while others have removed mezuzahs, cases containing small scrolls of parchment with passages from the Torah, from their door frames.
