BUDA, Texas — As the downtown menorah lit up the Central Texas night sky for a third straight year, resident Lisa Wolfe-Schacter says her heart was full.

What You Need To Know

  • At a time where cities across the state and country are canceling or dimming Hanukkah celebrations due to concerns over pushback from the Israel-Hamas War, the event chair and Texas transplant said the neighborly support of hundreds on the first night of the holiday is overwhelming
  • With antisemitic incidents up 316% since the war began, according to the Anti-Defamation League, and Islamophobia’s rise equally troubling, ADL Regional Director Jackie Nirenberg believes events like this should be championed as a way for communities to find common ground
  • This community is 7,000 miles away from a conflict weighing heavily on many Americans. However, like the story of Hanukkah itself, the moment offered a needed miracle and light in the darkness
  • "Share in the holiday with friends whether they have celebrated it or not,” Wolfe-Schacter said. “So that we can understand each other better, we can support each other better and we can see each other as humanity"

“Celebrating these holidays feels deeply rooted in my being and being able to share that with others makes me incredibly happy,” Wolfe-Schacter said.

At a time where cities across the state and country are canceling or dimming Hanukkah celebrations due to concerns over pushback from the Israel-Hamas War, the event chair and Texas transplant said the neighborly support of hundreds on the first night of the holiday is overwhelming.

“Whether you’re here because you celebrate Hanukkah or (are) curious about it or support us, it all means so much to be able to be here together and share in the light and love of this holiday,” Wolfe-Schacter said.

With antisemitic incidents up 316% since the war began, according to the Anti-Defamation League, and Islamophobia’s rise equally troubling, ADL Regional Director Jackie Nirenberg believes events like this should be championed as a way for communities to find common ground.

“We have to separate human beings from government decisions overseas,” Nirenberg said. “We can feel anguish and outrage, but we have to separate that from relationships with people in our own communities.”

It’s a small sample size, 7,000 miles away from a conflict weighing heavily on many Americans. However, like the story of Hanukkah itself, the moment offered a needed miracle and light in the darkness.

“Share in the holiday with friends whether they have celebrated it or not,” Wolfe-Schacter said. “So that we can understand each other better, we can support each other better and we can see each other as humanity.”