Happy Chanukah, friends!
As we light candles on our menorahs this year, we celebrate more than just a holiday—we celebrate resilience, hope, and the enduring power of Jewish light.
And sadly, this year we do so with heavy hearts. On Sunday we woke up to the horrific news of the terrorist act targeting the Jewish community in Sydney. This must be loudly and clearly called out as antisemitism.
We mourn those killed in this horrific shooting, send our comforts to their families, and wish a speedy and full recovery to the injured.
The temptation in the wake of news like this may be to retreat. To become small. But that is not what light does in the face of darkness. Light illuminates, light expands. Chanukah teaches us that even a small flame can pierce the deepest darkness.
Our community will never retreat in the face of hatred, and will never refrain from carrying on our Jewish traditions. Rather, we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure our communities are safe and that our lights burn all the brighter.
Over 2,000 years ago, when the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple, they found only enough oil for one day. Yet, that tiny flame burned for eight. This miracle reminds us that when we come together with faith and purpose, extraordinary things can happen.
Our city knows this truth well. New Orleans has faced challenges that could have extinguished our spirit—but like that little flame, we kept shining. The Jewish community here has been part of that story of resilience, standing together, rebuilding, and bringing light to our neighbors in times of need.
Some of you may be more familiar with this story than others, but the first Jew to arrive in New Orleans was Isaac Monsanto all the way back in 1724. For more than three centuries, the Jewish community of New Orleans has been a source of light—illuminating this city with acts of generosity and courage, weaving our values into the fabric of this city.
Each candle we light is more than wax and wick—it’s a legacy. It represents generations who kept the flame alive through hardship and hope. And it calls on us to carry that light forward—to be a source of kindness, justice, and compassion in our city and beyond.
Just as that light radiates outward to strengthen the broader community, it also fills our own homes—bringing warmth, meaning, and a sense of purpose to our families, reminding us that the power to impact the world begins at our own tables. This Chanukah, we can instill light and love in our homes by embracing simple yet profound acts of kindness and tradition. When we join together to light the menorah, we recommit to hope and remind our loved ones that each of our lives is a flame with the power to warm hearts and inspire goodness.
So as we kindle these lights, let it remind us: darkness never wins when we choose to shine. In this season of miracles, let us commit to that calling—because when we bring our light together, we do more than illuminate; we transform the world around us.
Happy Chanukah, y’all.