Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Hundreds gathered at the Utah Capitol for Chanukah amid heightened security after attacks.
- A rabbi emphasized unity and lighting the menorah as a symbol of resilience.
- Gov. Spencer Cox urged interfaith unity; the event honored fallen officers as modern-day Maccabees.
SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds filled the Utah Capitol rotunda Sunday night to mark the first night of Chanukah, balancing grief over recent violence with the joy of the holiday.
The celebration came after a deadly attack in Australia, leaving some attendees nervous about attending a public event.
"Do you come out?" Ron Zamir, with the United Jewish Federation of Utah, said. "Do you bring your kids to a public event? And I think what you've seen in the turnout is the Jews in our community felt it was more important to light a light and to come together and not be afraid to stay home and be safe."
Many said the tragedy made it more important to show up and light the menorah.
"We mourn, we grieve, we are sad," said Rabbi Benny Zippel, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah. "But at the same time, we also have to celebrate the victory of Chanukah."
Security was heightened at the Capitol, according to Zippel, who said state and city leaders stepped up protocols.
Despite concerns, families — including those who aren't Jewish — joined the event.
"We feel like it's important to be supportive of the community and give our kids exposure to different cultures," said Hikimai Johnson, who attended with his family.
Gov. Spencer Cox addressed the crowd, referencing recent violence at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan. He urged unity among faiths.
"Sometimes it is the very conflict, the very darkness, the very evil that leads people to find that peace, to seek that peace together, to stand shoulder to shoulder, different faiths, different religions standing up for one another," Cox said.
The menorah's light, Zippel said, symbolizes "the victory of good over evil, of light over darkness."
"I think the biggest thing for people is they misunderstand each other, and that's where we get our prejudices from, is not taking the time to understand one another, and so having that exposure for our kids now will hopefully get them to engage with other people," Johnson told KSL-TV.
Zippel also mourned Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the victims in Australia, and called on Utahns to "be a light" in the face of tragedy.
"I actually studied in England, in London, my rabbinic internship, and it was very close to the rabbi's family in London," Zippel said. "I know people in Australia. I have my counterpart serving as a different Chabad rabbi. He's in Sydney, and we're going to be in touch with them throughout the week. But the rabbi's family specifically, I know very, very well."
Sunday's event also honored two Tremonton police officers killed in the line of duty earlier this year. Rabbi Avremi Zippel called them modern-day Maccabees.
The family of Sgt. Lee Sorensen accepted a menorah during the celebration.
"We are honored to present this menorah to your family, to serve as a reminder of the light that these two brave, brave men brought to this world that will never, ever go out," Zippel said.
