Sault’s Jewish community, Shoemaker mark start of Hanukkah with menorah lighting

A large menorah was lit outside the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre early Thursday evening to mark the beginning of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

The festival continues until Dec. 15.

It is believed to be the first time such an event has taken place with the official cooperation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

“Hopefully it’s the first of many,” Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker told SooToday.

It comes at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise across Canada and other countries over the current Israel-Hamas war. 

The mayor said that the lighting of the menorah at the Civic Centre is not an official show of support for Israel in the war.

“The celebration of Hanukkah is a celebration of faith and it is not part of the geopolitical issues that are going on in the world right now.”

The City and the Sault’s Jewish community had planned the menorah lighting prior to the war, Shoemaker said.

Members of the Sault’s Jewish community and supporters joined Shoemaker and Tova Arbus, Congregation Beth Jacob synagogue president at the menorah lighting.

Approximately 120 people attended.

“I’m blown away by the turnout, by the warmth and support from the community, by the way people have opened their arms to us at a time when anti-Semitism is so horrifyingly on the rise,” Arbus told reporters.

“Public Hanukkah events all over are being cancelled or diminished. Our city chose to stand up to light the menorah proudly, to stand with us as a community not for any sort of political agenda or statement but simply to say we stand for freedom and a safe community means that everybody, including Jewish people, should be free to practice their faith and be recognized for who and what they are,” Arbus said.

Arbus noted the timing of the menorah lighting as the war rages in the Middle East.

“It would be hard not to talk about that at this current time, but this has been an initiative that we've been working on for over a year. None of us could have predicted the timing, that this would occur now. I think that many Jews and non-Jews feel anxiety and fear and complete disappointment at what is going on in the world. I think that there has been a really strong movement that chooses to equate all Jews everywhere with the choices of the Israeli government and what happens in the Middle East.”

“I refuse to conflate those two things. I think it’s really important to separate and understand that Jewish people are an ethnic group, a culture, a religion in and of ourselves all over the world, not just Israel. I really shy away from seeing this as a political statement,” Arbus said.

“I think when it comes to the politics of human rights this is a huge and strong statement but when it comes to the politics of the Middle East, that’s not what we’re doing.”

The menorah consists of nine candlesticks. The central candle is one that Arbus described as the helper candle. Another candle is lit for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah.

The city has stated another candle will be lit each night throughout the festival.

“We had committed to the congregation that we would light the menorah this year as a sign of acceptance of all faiths in our community and I don’t believe that it is a political issue. I believe it's an issue of accepting the faiths that are here in the community and have been for a long time,” Shoemaker said after the ceremony.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC.

Congregation Beth Jacob on Bruce Street includes approximately 40 families with members in the Sault as well as Sault Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and Elliot Lake, Arbus said. 

Arbus made a brief speech and sang a Jewish hymn at the ceremony.

As reported earlier, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has stated she won't attend the annual menorah lighting ceremony to mark the beginning of Hanukkah because she believes it's too political during the current Israel-Hamas war.

“I think that’s the wrong take,” Shoemaker told SooToday. “The intention when we decided to move down this path last year was simply to show that we are open to all faiths.

“At the end of the day this is intended to be a way to include people of all faiths in the celebrations that are happening this month. This is the first foray into having multi faith celebrations across the community. We do a tree lighting, a traditional Christmas tree lighting. We are now doing a public menorah lighting and the invitation is open for people of all faiths to reach out to see how the city can support their religious freedom in the community.”