[ad_1]
THE BLUEPRINT
-
Leaders and community members united at a Plainview menorah lighting, standing against antisemitism.
-
The event moved indoors due to winter weather, not security concerns, organizers emphasized.
-
JCC leadership highlighted increased security efforts and community resilience since Oct. 7.
-
Speakers stressed unity, strength, and standing against hate across all backgrounds.
Leaders in Nassau County united to confront antisemitism at a public menorah lighting at the Mid Island Y JCC in Plainview on Monday.
What had been planned as an outdoor ceremony was moved indoors because of a weekend winter storm that brought bitter cold temperatures and snow to the region.
The move indoors was not, said Mid Island Y JCC and Suffolk Y JCC CEO Rick Lewis, “because of the events in Australia,” referring to a mass shooting in Sydney in which 15 people were murdered while celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach.
Lewis made a point about standing up to antisemitism.
“If it were 10 degrees warmer, we would be outside because this community will not hide from this fight,” Lewis said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Still, he said, security was a major priority at the JCC.
“This building is a safe place on any given day, with a security budget that has doubled since Oct. 7,” he said, referring to the Hamas attack in Israel in 2023. “Sixty thousand people a year walk through our doors, and I along with the [JCC’s] incredible board of directors don’t take their responsibility lightly.”
The Plainview menorah-lighting featured community members, elected officials at the local and state level, and business and community leaders, including from the Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce. Over the last two years, community members had come together weekly to rally for the return of Omer Neutra, the Plainview native who was killed in the 2023 Hamas attacks and buried in Israel last month after his body was returned to his family.
Monday’s event was designed to shine a light against public hate and celebrate strength and hope. Lewis expressed gratitude for Ahmed al Ahmed, the Syrian-Australian Muslim shop owner who tackled one of the gunmen during the Bondi attack, wrestling the man’s shotgun from his grip and turning it on the attacker.
Monday’s event also highlighted that the Jewish community‘s. Lewis said that people of all backgrounds were welcome at the JCC, though its focus is on Jewish culture and knowledge.
“We are one family in this town,” Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino said at the menorah lighting. “We’re going to let the world know that we’re not afraid of anyone who tries to strike out against the Jewish people.”
“I think it is very, very important that people in leadership positions stand up and remind the world how important it is to address antisemitism and not hide behind misinformation that you get off the internet,” Lewis told LIBN. “It is important that we stand proud and support the cause.”
He added that “if our community doesn’t stand up and remind everyone of the problem at hand, the situation will only continue to get worse.”
[ad_2]
Adina Genn
Source link