SWAMPSCOTT — On the last night of Hanukkah, Chabad of the North Shore Founder and Director Rabbi Yossi Lipsker lit nine Menorah candles on the Snitkovsky family’s front lawn Thursday night, spreading warmth and light in a spot which, just last week, was defaced with an act of hatred.
Less than 10 days after the family’s “We stand with Israel” sign was vandalized with antisemitic writing and swastikas, roughly 35 people gathered over a fire pit, drinks and music to celebrate Hanukkah and display strength and unity among Swampscott’s Jewish community.
Faina Snitkovsky, who moved to the U.S. from Ukraine to escape antisemitism in 1995, said her family decided to host the Menorah lighting both as a sign of strength for her faith and as a way to say thank you to the community’s support after last week’s act of vandalism. She said that someone in Texas even sent her family orchids as a sign of support.
“I told my son, ‘We need to do this for the community’ because we had such a big outreach and people have such big hearts. That was the idea, just to bring everybody together — the same community that really stood with us,” Snitkovsky said.
Rabbi Yossi, who wore an ear-to-ear smile as he arrived at the Snitkovsky’s home with a Menorah and a guitar in hand, invited the crowd to sing along to a number of Hebrew songs before delivering a fireside sermon in which he reflected on the importance of — both literally and symbolically — bringing light to the darkness.
The sermon also reflected on antisemitism, the war between Israel and Hamas, and the state of the Jewish community in the U.S. today.
“Building a culture and a coalition of light is challenging, especially when the darkness is particularly dark,” Rabbi Yossi said. “Antisemitism is like the darkness; It’s all around us. And they (the Snitkovsky family) woke up in the morning, and it was the darkness of the morning. It wasn’t a political statement. It was a statement of their deepest identity as Jews… We were going to be at the Town Hall in Swampscott, but this is the Town Hall tonight.”
In a brief interview, Snitkovsky’s mother, Anna, said that she had to hide her religion and culture as a young Jewish woman in Ukraine. Anna mentioned that she was once fired from her job as a ballerina when her boss found out she was Jewish, and she expressed joy that her community could come together without fear on the final night of Hanukkah.
“And now this,” Anna Snitkovsky said, motioning to the celebration, “This is wonderful.”
After his sermon, Rabbi Yossi blessed the crowd, wished Snitkovsky’s son, Swampscott High School Senior Sam Snitkovsky, well, and invited the family to speak.
“Most people in Swampscott, around this community, aren’t racist. People are on our side, and I think it’s just a sign that, like most people, we are against hate,” Sam Snitkovsky said. “We’ve had other hate incidents in Swampscott before, and the community’s always united around supporting other people here. It’s good that we have it in Swampscott, Massachusetts.”
Police Chief Ruben Quesada also spoke to the crowd, reassuring them that Swampscott Police will always combat acts of violence and hatred when they arise in town.
“We are part of the community, and we will always show up; we will always support anti-violence, anti-rhetoric, and the fight against antisemitism. I think it’s important that our community understands that we will do everything in our power to keep them safe in a respectful and dignified way,” Quesada said.
Although this was the family’s first time hosting a celebration on the eighth day of Hanukkah, Snitkovsky said she hoped to repeat the celebration annually, starting a new tradition in the community.
“Every year, we should do this. They brought us darkness, but from now on, we’re only going to bring light,” Snitkovsky said.
