MILWAUKEE — There was no shortage of activities or energy to kick start Hanukah in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Lubavitch Wisconsin hosted thousands in an outdoor gathering at Bayshore to celebrate the first of eight nights in the Jewish holiday.
There was cookie decorating, free warm drinks and a train ride for kids and a free concert to name a few of the activities at Sunday night’s event, but most importantly for many, people joined together to embrace the meaning behind the holiday.
“Hanukah is a holiday that commemorates and expresses freedom over oppression, light over darkness and spirituality over materialism,” shared Rabbi Mendel Shmotkin, CEO of Lubavitch Wisconsin.
Rabbi Shmotkin says that message carries a deeper meaning after a year marked with antisemitic rhetoric and acts of violence.
“Even though this has been a year, and a time, when so many Jews are frightened because of antisemitism, good prevails over evil,” said Rabbi Shmotkin. “That is the message of Hanukah. The worst thing we could do, the last thing we should do, is to go underground.”
An impressive show of faith, family, and friendship was visible in Sunday night’s crowd.
Even the cold couldn’t keep away kids from taking part in a traditional Gelt drop with help from the fire department.
The Gelt drop is a tradition that drops chocolate coins from a ladder to a crowd below. Those who gather the coins are then encouraged to donate money to charities.
It was one moment of many bringing smiles and reminding everyone what this time of year is all about.
“A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness,” said Mushka Lein, co-director of Chabad of the East Side. “It’s about the miracle of light, and that’s a universal message. Jews and non-Jews, for the whole community, that one small act can change the world.”
