"It was less than 24 hours after the news of a horrifying attack at a similar Menorah lighting in Sydney's Bondi Beach reverberated around the globe when Menlo Park's Jewish community gathered in Fremont Park to light the Menorah. Together, those assembled had the victims across the ocean in mind and prayed for them to find healing and comfort. The message of the Menorah has always been the resilience of light, and its message could not have been more relevant for a day which bore such difficult news."
"Families with small children, senior citizens, and young adults, both those with Jewish backgrounds and those from other faiths, filled the park to show support, watch the ceremony, and to grab a Hanukkah treat. The sounds of the traditional blessings and Hanukkah music filled the air, and the smells of donuts and latkes, traditional Hanukkah foods, drifted through the park. To top it all off, the singular candle marking Hanukkah's first night shone brightly, a beacon of hope in a sea of uncertainty."
Menlo Chabad, founded a little over a year ago by Rabbi Dovid and Esty Geisinksy who moved from Brooklyn with their daughter Luba, serves as Menlo Park's first Jewish center. The first-night Hanukkah Menorah lighting in Fremont Park drew more than 200 attendees, making it the largest Jewish event held to date in the city. Attendees included families with small children, seniors, young adults, local residents of varied faiths, and law enforcement representatives. The gathering emphasized prayer for Bondi Beach victims, communal resilience symbolized by the Menorah's light, traditional blessings and music, and Hanukkah foods like donuts and latkes.
Read at Padailypost
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