LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — In a calendar rarity, Hanukkah begins this 12 months on Christmas Day and whereas a time for celebration, many within the Jewish group are nonetheless reeling from the impacts of the Hamas assaults.
It has been greater than a 12 months because the Hamas assaults began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Rabbi Sanford Askerad is the non secular chief of the congregation for Ner Tamid, a Jewish Synagogue in Henderson. He has centered on offering help for these in want by fundraising, bringing in several audio system, and praying.
“This particular year, we have seen a tremendous rise in antisemitism in our community and throughout the world,” Rabbi Askelrad defined. “We’ve had people whose family members were taken hostage. We’ve had people who had talked about the nature of terrorism and what Israel has been up against, at the same time I made a mission in February following October and I went to some of those sites that were impacted in the south, the Kibbutzim where the damage was done.”
The vacation spirit has been laborious to come back by from some within the Jewish group experiencing antisemitism and Rabbi Askelrad stated this Hanukkah gives a renewed sense of which means and solidarity
“The theme of that holiday of Hanukkah is a fight for religious freedom, first recorded fight for religious freedom and so it resembles Jewish resilience, courage, and pride and those three themes are still important today,” Rabbi Askelrad remarked.
“In fact, one of the great commandments is to take your menorah and place it in your window sill and the idea is that we publicize the fact that we’re Jews and we’re proud to be Jewish.”
Rabbi Askelrad invitations everybody this vacation season to come back collectively and name for consideration throughout these troublesome occasions.
“We just hope people support the Jewish community in general. That they show no tolerance for antisemitism or hate against our people or any people for that matter,” added Rabbi Askelrad. “That they understand what’s going on in the Middle East is very complex and layered and their ability to learn about what’s going on is very important because it’s a passionate issue, not just for the Jewish community, but our country as we look for a way to find peace in the Middle East.”
Hanukkah begins on Dec. 25 and there will likely be public menorah lightings throughout the valley, together with a menorah lights ceremony hosted by Clark County on Monday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. on the rotunda Clark County authorities heart.
