Dozens braved temperatures that flirted with and eventually dipped below freezing Thursday in Marblehead and Saugus to come together and witness menorah lightings on the first night of Hanukkah.
The Jewish holiday spans eight nights, beginning Dec. 7, and commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.
In Saugus, local and state elected officials, including state Rep. Jessica Giannino, gathered outside Town Hall for a brief ceremony hosted by Town Manager Scott Crabtree and the Board of Selectmen, led by Cantor Craig Mael of Congregation Ahavas Sholom.
During the ceremony, which spanned roughly 15 minutes, Bob Leroe, the former pastor of Clfitondale Congregational Church, offered an opening prayer.
“Those of us who will soon be celebrating Christmas could not exist without Judaism,” he said. “Almighty and merciful God, heal the centuries of hatred toward your chosen people and make Christians be instruments of your peace.”
Mael told the assembled the story of Hanukkah — when oil meant to last one day lasted eight following the desecration of the temple, reflecting on its resonance amid a turbulent period worldwide, particularly as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate.
“What we can understand is if we take that little glimmer of light from wherever it comes, and we feel that light shining upon us, we’re able to go out and spread that light,” Mael said.
After his remarks in English, Mael transitioned to Hebrew to offer blessings of the holiday.
To close the ceremony, he urged those in attendance to work to better themselves.
“Find the salvation that we need to make ourselves better people because that is truly the gift of mankind,” Mael said.
In a brief interview following the ceremony, Panetta said the event shows the town’s support for the Jewish faith.
“We’re an inclusive community,” she said. “Only good can come out of people coming together.”
Crabtree said the town was “thrilled and excited” to kick off the holiday season with the menorah lighting.
For Marblehead, the town’s first menorah lighting ceremony was held outside National Grand Bank, sponsored by the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce, National Grand Bank, Shirat Hayam, Temple Emanu-el, Temple Sinai, and the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore. The lighting drew both local and state elected officials, including members of the town’s Select Board and state Rep. Jenny Armini.
The event kicked off with lengthy remarks from board member Moses Grader, who reflected on both the weight he carries as a result of his first name and the value of hosting a public celebration of a Jewish holiday amidst rising antisemitism.
“It’s vital as we’re doing now that we lean into our faiths, that we recognize that we are bound together in this town and our country by the voluntary acceptance of all religious faiths that teach us to spread our light the best we can — symbolized here tonight with the lighting of the first candle of the menorah,” Grader said.
Grader also reflected on the connections between the town, the country, and the Jewish faith, imploring the crowd of dozens to celebrate the fight to defend religious diversity.
“So, like the miracle of the oil at the temple, we pray with you that God’s light will illuminate and fill our lives,” he said.
Attendees also heard from numerous Jewish faith leaders, including Rabbi Michael Schwartz of Temple Sinai, Interim Rabbi Darryl Crystal of Temple Emanu-El, and Epstein Hillel School Director of Jewish Life and Learning Rabbi Samantha Safran. Their remarks were interspersed with performances from the children’s and adult choirs of Shirat Hayam, who sang traditional Hanukkah songs and offered renditions of the prayers.
In his remarks, Schwartz reflected that Hanukkah — a festival of light — occurs during the darkest month of the Jewish calendar.
“We don’t need any reminder of how much dark near darkness there is out there,” he said. “But perhaps the light is meant to remind us that first of all, we kindled the light, we can kindle light [and] that light dispels darkness.”
