As Hanukkah has begun around the world, a celebration has already faced a mass shooting terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia.

At least 12 Jews were killed on Bondi Beach.

Though this morning Jews woke up to a day of yet more darkness, on the eve of The Festival of Lights  we must remember “Don’t let the light go out.”

The flame is a historical reminder of an ethical imperative. It lights with possibility, the promise of a better world.

We must still have hope.

Our traditions continue. When I light my skinny, waxy Hanukkah candles, I light them for and with the family that is no longer here but whose silver menorah I light them from.

And for those Jewish souls we have just lost who will not get to light a menorah again.

To those who dare say antisemitism doesn’t exist,  it’s time you get out of the dark.

Footnote

The still life of my vintage family menorah, includes a photo of my great-grandfather and his family including my grandmother as a child. On the bookshelf next to his silver Kiddish cup which I use every holiday, is a worn volume of “Who’s Who in American Jewry” from the 1930s, which includes a page for my that great -Grandfather Dr Abraham Posner.

A Happy Hanukkah to all my friends who celebrate.