The eight nights of Hanukkah begin at sundown Tuesday with public menorah lightings scheduled in the District and across the country, as Jewish groups say they have taken steps to ensure a peaceful holiday.
“There are always security concerns and Reform Jewish congregations are prepared,” Amy Asin, vice president for the Union of Reform Judaism, said in an email to The Washington Times.
“Hanukkah is largely celebrated in people’s homes. So while many congregations will have a celebration, the night and the size of the crowd is likely not different from other ongoing celebrations,” Ms. Asin said.
At the White House, the first menorah candle was lit Thursday, one day after President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced plans to move the U.S. Embassy there.
The president’s elder daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner are Orthodox Jews, and their children helped light the first candle at the ceremony last week.
On Tuesday evening, the Orthodox group American Friends of Lubavitch will lead the annual National Menorah Lighting Ceremony on the Ellipse, which typically draws thousands of spectators each year.
Rabbi Menachem Shemtov said the Jewish group has taken necessary precautions but has no reason to believe the event will be anything other than fun.
“There’s hot latkes, there’s doughnuts, there’s chocolate gelt [coins], there’s all the fun,” Rabbi Shemtov said.
“Hanukkah is basically the victory of religious freedom over oppression, so being able to celebrate this huge concept in front of, perhaps, the biggest stage in the world is a great opportunity,” he said.
The National Park Service, which is responsible for security at the menorah lighting, did not return a call seeking comment.
In New York City, the police department was unavailable for comment about menorah-lighting security following a pipe bomb explosion Monday in a subway near Times Square. Four people including the bombing suspect — Akayed Ullah, 27, of Bangladesh — were wounded in the attack, but no fatalities were reported.
Authorities said Mr. Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State and unspecified Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.
Doron Ezickson, the D.C. regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said that while security is always a concern for the Jewish community, “there’s no indication of any imminent threat.”
“The anti-Semitic attacks overseas and the terror attack at the Port Authority Bus Terminal are a reminder that we must always be vigilant when it comes to security,” he said in an email to The Times.
New York City has the country’s largest Jewish population and boasts the world’s largest menorah. At 32 feet tall and, the two-ton Grand Army Plaza menorah stands across from the Plaza Hotel at the Fifth Avenue and 59th Street. And a competing menorah will be lit Tuesday in Prospect Park below the Brooklyn Bridge.
Meanwhile in South Dakota, Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz will crisscross the state for Hanukkah ceremonies in the state’s capital of Pierre, an Air Force base and even Mount Rushmore.
“Our Founding Fathers established this country giving everybody the freedom of religion and all those opportunities, and I felt there’s no better place to express that than in front of the memorial at Mount Rushmore with the menorah lighting,” Rabbi Alperowitz told The Times.
He said he’s never personally experienced anti-Semitism but that local law enforcement has offered its full support.
“Overall, we feel very safe and we’re very thankful for local authorities for everything that they’ve done for us here as well,” Rabbi Alperowitz said.
The celebration of Hanukkah represents the miracle of eight days of candlelight in the Jewish Temple from a source of oil only meant to last one night. Since the holiday is recorded in historical accounts but not the Bible, it’s sometimes referred to as a minor Jewish celebration. It is popular for its festive atmosphere and traditions.
• Laura Kelly can be reached at lkelly@washingtontimes.com.
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