700 NYC Jews Gather in Columbus Circle to Mark Chanukah & 2 Mo. Since Oct 7 Attack, Call for Ceasefire
For Immediate Release: December 7, 2023
Press Contact: press@ifnotnowmovement.org
BREAKING: 700 NYC JEWS GATHER IN COLUMBUS CIRCLE TO MARK 1ST NIGHT OF CHANUKAH & 2 MONTHS SINCE OCT 7 ATTACK, CALL FOR CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
New York, NY (Dec 7, 2023) – On Thursday evening, 700 Jewish New Yorkers and families, joined by neighbors and allies, gathered in Columbus Circle to mark the first night of Chanukah, which fell exactly two months after Hamas’ horrific Oct 7 attack and after two months of Israel’s horrific, ongoing assault on Gaza. A recording of the event is available here.
Led by Rabbis 4 Ceasefire, and co-organized by Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Jewish Voice for Peace, and IfNotNow, and Shoresh, the crowd gathered to light the first candles of a 9-foot tall menorah decorated with the word “CEASEFIRE.” Organizers distributed donuts, hot chocolate, and hand warmers as the crowd sang, mourned the thousands of Palestinians and Israelis who have been killed in the past two months, and raised their voices in prayer for a #CeasefireNOW, full hostage exchange, an end to occupation & apartheid, and a just future for all.
“When we look at the horrifying, ongoing death and destruction in Gaza or address the massacre of Israelis on October 7, we can see all the ways in which dehumanization feeds dehumanization. But seeing the divine in everyone allows us to fully access our own humanity,” Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster of Rabbis 4 Ceasefire told the crowd. “As we bring the light of Chanukah into the world, may we see the divine in all human beings and may we fight for the dignity of all Palestinians and Israelis.”
“I want my Jewish family to know, you have been lights,” Linda Sarsour told the crowd. “We resist those who cheer war and want to divide our communities, resist those who say that when Palestinians want to live with full dignity and safety, that Jews don’t have dignity and safety. We are all we’ve got.”
“Young Jews will not, cannot stop organizing until we see an end to these atrocities,” Nina, a student at Barnard College and a member of IfNotNow told the crowd. “Pirkei Avot teaches us that we are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are we free to abandon it. Right now, young Jews are showing commitment to seeing our portion of this work through. Our work is not over until we see a complete ceasefire in Gaza and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis.”
“Every day for the past two months, we protested, rallied, organized,” said Audrey Sasson, Executive Director of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice. “Our feminist, anti-war, and Jewish values tell us that responding to violence with violence will not bring us safety or justice. We have barely had time to grieve or hold each other. Tonight, on the first night of Chanukah, we took the time to mourn every single life, and to demand with our full hearts an immediate, permanent ceasefire, hostage release, and an end to occupation.”
“It felt so powerful and so necessary to come together as Jews on the first night of Chanukah to affirm our commitment to ending the genocide being waged against Palestinians in our names,’ said Rebecca Vilkomerson of Jewish Voice for Peace-New York. “We honor our ancestors, our history, and our spiritual traditions when we call for an immediate ceasefire, now.”
“It is difficult to celebrate this holiday as we are still mourning the massacre of October 7th and the ensuing campaign of destruction against Gaza and Palestinian lives,” said Layla Klinger, a founding member of Shoresh. “As anti-Zionist citizens of Israel, we mark this Chanukah alongside our American Jewish comrades, united in our shared struggle for a lasting political solution. We are motivated by our love for our families, our communities and our own material stakes in a free and just future in Palestine/Israel. The only way forward is to stop the unfolding mass killing in Gaza, guarantee the release of all hostages, and ensure full democracy and equality for all people between the river and the sea, predicated on the right of return of all Palestinians.”
This action kicked off a #ChanukahForCeasefire week of action, with similar distributed events taking place across the city and the country as Jews continue to raise their voices for a ceasefire: an end to Israel’s military assault on Gaza, and the release of all hostages, and a just future for all Palestinians and Israelis.
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