The Jewish community in Durham recently gathered for a pre-Hanukkah celebration amid a huge turnout, as the nation has been witnessing a spike in antisemitism.
The event was held Sunday at the Levin Jewish Community Center, and it drew hundreds of families from the Triangle area.
“We’ve been waiting so long to bring back the joy in the hearts of young children and adults, and the hope and optimism in adults,” Rabbi Zalman Bluming told ABC 11 News. “And this year, Hanukkah is really that expression.”
Bluming lit the candles on an ice sculpture of a menorah as the gatherers celebrated faith, hope and being a positive light in the community. Bluming, executive director of Chabad of Durham/Chapel Hill, said he hoped it was a message that resonated with both children and adults.
“We’re committed this year more than ever, giving out thousands of Hanukkah menorahs so that every single home, every Jewish home is kindled with the light, faith and optimism that comes from being part of the amazing miracles of Hanukkah,” Bluming said, according to ABC 11 News.
The pre-Hanukkah festival happened amid a sentiment of rising antisemitism that has been evident on social media and in the news. A total of 2,717 antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism were reported by the Anti-Defamation League in 2021, an increase of about 60% from the number of 2020 incidents. Preliminary data for 2022 shows the trend continuing.
The Triangle has been caught up in the wave of hate speech. In August, at least four different antisemitic fliers were found in a Raleigh neighborhood that a significant number of Jewish families call home.
“We’re here to kindle a flame of morality, of the strength of kindness to the rest of the world,” Bluming said, according to ABC 11 News. “And believe me, for every antisemite, there’s a thousand people that love and salute the Jewish people are so proud of what’s taking place today around the world.”
Leaders in the Jewish community say that addressing hate starts with education and open dialogue.
“Education is the silver bullet,” John DeMartino, director of marketing and communication at Jewish for Good, told ABC 11 News. “The more information that we can put out there, the more that we can speak to misinformation and the more that we are able to open up dialogues. I think a rising tide lifts all boats, and that’s the name of the game.”
