- Salt Lake Jewish residents say they're united in the faith during a Hanukkah ceremony in Salt Lake City.
- The event honored victims of Sunday's attack in Australia.
- Antisemitic incidents have surged in the U.S., but leaders say they still feel safe in the city.
SALT LAKE CITY — Rabbi Samuel Spector knew Hanukkah would be dark this year in a literal sense.
The Jewish Festival of Lights fell on the darkest week for the Northern Hemisphere, on a week with little to no moonlight, but it suddenly felt darker when news of an attack on one of this year's first Hanukkah events made it to Utah. The attack at Bondi Beach in Australia left 15 eventgoers dead, adding to a growing number of antisemitism attacks in the world.
Yet, as he assisted Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in lighting a menorah on possibly the dimmest floor of the Salt Lake City-County Building Wednesday night, he couldn't help but think of the light he's also seen this week.
In Sydney, where the attack took place, local outlets reported how residents immediately rushed to donate blood, creating long lines. Spector, who oversees Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City, said he heard from colleagues of a major donation for security that a non-Jewish resident made for a synagogue there. He also fielded calls from local leaders, reaching out to check in on him and the local congregation.
"It's on us to create light," he said. "We're reminded that we are going to show up in greater force ... and we're going to create even more light."
Wednesday's ceremony was a little more solemn than previous Hanukkah ceremonies the city has held. While it featured traditional song and food, there was a moment of silence for the victims of the Bondi Beach attack, and Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd was brought on to light a special candle in their honor.
Both took place before Mendenhall lit five menorah candles to symbolize the fifth day of the holiday.
"It is unacceptable; it is abhorrent," she said of these attacks. "These antisemitic attacks and the climate, the fear being created and perpetuated around the world, is why we come together tonight to stand up against it."
The attack also ignited a sense of resolve within Salt Lake's Jewish community, which dates back almost as long as the state's pioneer settlement. A trio of Jewish high school students spoke of the fear they grapple with and the faith that carries them.
Others who attended found strength in the meaning of Hanukkah, a celebration of the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees. The story is one of "courage to live openly as Jews," which has felt especially poignant this week, said Alex Shapiro, director of the United Jewish Federation of Utah.
"Hanukkah reminds us that even in painful moments, we do not retreat from our Jewish lives. We strengthen ... and we show up for one another," he said.
Sunday's attack, which authorities say was a targeted attack on the Jewish community, was Australia's deadliest mass shooting in almost 30 years. One of the alleged gunmen was killed during a shootout, while another, who was critically injured, was charged with 59 offenses on Wednesday in relation to the attack.
It marked yet another example of antisemitism in the world, which has been on the rise. Just in the U.S., there were over 9,300 antisemitic incidents in 2024, representing a 344% increase in five years, the Anti-Defamation League reported earlier this year. Harassment accounts for most cases, but assaults rose by 21% over the previous year, as well.
The situation has gotten bad enough that Spector said some of the rabbis he was with at a conference recently held in New York City — home to the largest Jewish population of any city in the world — felt the need to hide emblems of their Jewish faith over safety concerns. While he knows that Utah isn't immune, including incidents that took place at the Congregation Kol Ami, Spector said he's grateful that he still feels safe in Salt Lake City.
"I can't think of another place in this country where I feel safer," he said.
It's the light he says he hopes other communities can experience during a dark time.
