SAUGUS — Town officials and community members gathered on the lawn of town hall on Monday for Saugus’ first official menorah lighting ceremony.
Rabbi Yossi Lipsker, Regional Director of Chabad of the North Shore, led the ceremony and sang a Hebrew song before inviting Saugus resident Ruth Berg and Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli to light the menorah.
“The story of Hanukkah, while it might be part of Jewish history, it certainly is also part of human history, and it’s a human story that’s universal and is way bigger than a Jewish story,” Rabbi Lipsker said. “It’s a story of people wanting to live in freedom, people wanting to have the ability to live illuminated by the light that moves them … and the light that lights them up and inspires them.”
Lipsker said that Saugus was one of the only communities that doesn’t light a menorah, which Selectboard Chairman Anthony Cogliano said town officials were happy to change. Lipsker said that in working to implement this ceremony, the Jewish community and the town built lovely bridges, gained new friends, and learned about and became more comfortable with each other.
“One of the beautiful things about being an American is that of all the places in this large but tiny globe, America was a place where people came to experience freedom. Freedom from every kind of persecution, freedom from tyranny, freedom to practice religion, freedom to practice humanity,” Rabbi Lipsker said. “Hanukkah is a reminder that freedom is both our most precious resource, but it’s also our most vulnerable and delicate resource. It needs to be protected, it needs to be sheltered, it needs to be nurtured and it needs to be sustained.”
Around 30 people came out on the cold and windy afternoon to watch the menorah lighting. Rabbi Lipsker described the ceremony as “breathtaking” and said he was touched by everyone who took time out of their day to attend.
In addition to Cogliano and Police Chief Ricciardelli, other local officials in attendance included Rep. Jessica Giannino, Rep. Donald Wong, Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini, Selectman Corinne Riley, Selectman Michael Serino, Vice Chairman of the Selectboard Debra Panetta and Town Manager Scott Crabtree.
Crabtree said he was happy to attend a ceremony that extends “our minds and our arms to the diversity of the world.”
“I think it’s just an excellent way of the community coming together in different ways,” Crabtree said. “I think it just helps build stronger bonds.”
