|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As millions of Jews around the world gathered to celebrate Hanukkah this past week, the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM recorded 13 incidents in which Hanukkah-related events and public menorah displays were disrupted or vandalized by antisemitic perpetrators.
Unfortunately, the targeting of Hanukkah celebrations is not a new phenomenon — CAM monitored similar trends in 2023 and 2021. Like clockwork, antisemites emerge whenever and wherever Jews proudly exhibit their faith and cultural traditions in public spaces.
Five of the monitored incidents this year were directly motivated by anti-Israel sentiment — a function of the post-October 7th surge in Israel-related antisemitism.
At the Harbin Hot Springs Retreat Center in northern California, a planned Hanukkah concert was canceled due to “heightened rhetoric and potential threats of violence on social media.” Online posts and emails accused the Jewish performer, Mikey Pauker, of being a “terrorist lover” who played “psychotic Zionist genocidal sh*t.”
Public menorah-lighting ceremonies have also been targeted by anti-Israel activists, implicitly holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the State of Israel — one of the 11 examples of contemporary antisemitism outlined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.
In Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, a Chabad-sponsored menorah lighting featuring former Governor Mike Huckabee, who has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, was marred by protesters who attempted to drown out the celebration with anti-Israel chants.
Light in the face of darkness:
Former Arkansas Governor and future Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee @GovMikeHuckabee kindles the menorah at Lubavitch of Arkansas, the traditional tune of Maoz Tzur drowning out antisemitic protestors. pic.twitter.com/C82DJkbFgH— Chabad Lubavitch HQ (@Lubavitch) December 26, 2024
In Oakland, California, vandals spray-painted “Israelis are the new Nazis” only feet away from the Chabad menorah.
On the last night of Hanukkah, disgusting and hateful graffiti was discovered next to @ChabadOakland‘s Lake Merritt Menorah, comparing Israelis to Nazis.
This incident follows the destruction of the menorah at the same location last year and a pattern of ongoing antisemitic… pic.twitter.com/BCUWpQNxVd
— JCRC Bay Area (@SFJCRC) January 2, 2025
In Canada’s Alberta province, more than a dozen anti-Israel demonstrators were prevented by police from disrupting a municipal menorah-lighting ceremony at Calgary City Hall.
In Puerto Montt, Chile, vandals defaced a menorah with the word “assassins” written in green and white, and fake blood spilled on the base. While not explicitly referring to Israel, vandalizing a Jewish symbol with fake blood is a tactic that anti-Israel activists have employed several times this year across the globe, with the apparent aim of implying that Jews are collectively responsible for the supposed crimes of the State of Israel against the Palestinians.
In London, England, several anti-Israel activists protested a Chabad-sponsored menorah lighting in the Islington borough, necessitating police protection for the participants.
Last night, the local Chabad House in Islington, North London @ChabadIslington had a menorah-lighting ceremony to celebrate the Jewish festival of Chanukah.
The religious occasion was targeted by Palestine protesters.
Nobody is surprised that supposedly ‘anti-Israel’ protesters… pic.twitter.com/vuBfSvyfN0
— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) December 27, 2024
Additionally, Hannukah, an eight-day festival, saw numerous instances of antisemitic hate, vandalism, and violence that involved no discernible ideological motivation.
In Sherman Oaks, California, a menorah was toppled.
The Hanukkah menorah at Chabad in Sherman Oaks, CA was deliberately toppled—a chilling act of recurring hate during the Hanukkah season.
Thankfully, community members acted swiftly to restore it to its rightful place. pic.twitter.com/97Wx9V8GnL
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 28, 2024
In Gigi Harbor, Washington, a menorah had its lights torn out, and the frame was dented.
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, an ice menorah on display at the historic Santa Fe Plaza was completely destroyed in just two days.
In Sante Fe New Mexico, antisemites destroyed an Ice Menorah on the first day of Chanukah.
Chabad’s response? More light, more Menorahs, and more Jewish joy!
Do you have a Menorah for Chanukah? It’s not too late. Dm me! pic.twitter.com/2nww33CgdV
— Rabbi S Litvin (@BluegrassRabbi) December 27, 2024
In North York, Ontario, a car rammed into a menorah, knocking it over and severely damaging it.
The Chanukah Menorah was knocked down at Patricia and Bathurst Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/14mxGdliIN
— Israel Now (@neveragainlive1) December 20, 2024
In England, a Bricket Woods menorah was smashed, and a Gants Hill Hanukkah celebration was interrupted by passersby who shouted antisemitic slurs at the attendees before driving away.
In Mykolaiv, Ukraine, a synagogue was firebombed, and in Lviv a drunk 19-year-old man severed the power cord for a public menorah display before fleeing. He was later arrested by police.
The proclivity of antisemites to attack Jewish symbols and interfere with Jewish celebrations is a testament to the corrosiveness of Jew-hatred, including its anti-Zionist forms that are prevalent today. Antisemites seek to strip their victims of the ability to experience pride and joy — a behavior common among bigots of varied stripes.
The takeaway is clear — any public Jewish identification is subject to be targeted by antisemitism. As CAM has previously urged, it is imperative for law enforcement agencies to work in tandem with local Jewish communities to protect Jewish institutions, especially during holiday periods when they draw more attention and face greater threats.
At the city level, mayors and other officials can turn to CAM’s new Municipal Antisemitism Action Index as a resource for steps to implement to secure and nurture Jewish life.
Furthermore, national, state, and local governments must work to uproot antisemitism by fostering interreligious dialogue, understanding, and solidarity. Chief among such efforts should be recognizing and celebrating the annual Jewish American Heritage Month, which 37 U.S. states and 172 U.S. cities commendably did last year, and European Days of Jewish Culture, which CAM promotes in a joint venture with the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ).
