ST. LOUIS – Thursday marks the start of Hanukkah. It’s the beginning of eight days of a joyous Jewish holiday, celebrating a miracle from more than 2,000 years ago.
But in 2023, the meaning of the celebration is ever more meaningful for many.
“We often describe it as the festival of light,” says Rabbi Scott Shasrin, Jewish Community Relations Council St. Louis. “It is a practical celebration because of the time of year it is and the wintertime being dark, and you can find that in many cultures. But what’s unique to the Jewish story, it combines this specific incident of fighting to find their place in the world but also being a light to the nations.”
The Kiener Plaza Menorah lighting in Downtown St. Louis is scheduled for Thursday evening, marking the start of the eight-day holy holiday at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Work has been ongoing getting ready for this year’s celebration of light.
“All Jewish holidays start in the evening,” says Shasrin. “We light a candle each evening. As we light them it’s one candle and every single night until we have a full lamp lit. The idea is, by the end, you’re actually filling your physical and emotional space with more light than you started.”
Hanukkah starts on the evening of December 7th and ends on December 15th.
This holiday comes with the somber reality of the ongoing Ukraine war and Israel attacked by terrorist group Hamas In October, killing more than 1,200 people in Israel. This year’s holiday has the sad reality of a rise in antisemitism.
This rabbi has a message for Jewish individuals and families everywhere.
“Even in the darkest times when things are bleak and there’s real heartache and trauma in the world,” says Shasrin. “We need to come together now more than other. With the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia and these wars going on, it is incredibly troubling. It’s more important than ever for the Jewish community and others being able to live your religion and values are an essential part of being human and really need to be kept sacred.”