BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Valley religious leaders and Mayor J. William Reynolds gathered near Bethlehem City Hall Monday night to mark the second night of Hanukkah with a “lighting of unity,” showing support and solidarity with the region’s Jewish community.
“What this is tonight is a representation of who we are,” Reynolds said. “When I look around today, I see a lot of people who are out here because they want to stand up. And they want to be a part of this as we make no mistake about what type of community we want to live in.”
The Christmas City’s annual menorah lighting took on special significance in the wake of recent antisemitic incidents, including one that occurred a day earlier and less than a mile away.
A shopper at Christkindlmarkt on the SteelStacks campus said he heard four men spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories, with two of them wearing shirts that said “It’s Okay To Be White.”
“I've had a lot of phone calls today from people throughout our community,” Reynolds said, “that all want to know the same thing: What can we do about the rising tide of antisemitism within our community, within our state, within our country?”
“We will provide security, we will provide safety, we will stand up,” said Reynolds, a longtime city councilman nearing the end of his first year as mayor.
“And we are also building the type of community where there's a place for everyone. The type of community where no matter what your faith is, no matter how long you've been here, no matter who you decide to pray to or not, then we will value you.”
“We will provide security, we will provide safety, we will stand up.”Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
Dozens from the community showed up, including members of city council, Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck and state Rep. Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton.
The size of the crowd surprised Rabbi Yaacov Halperin of Chabad Lubavitch of the Lehigh Valley. He said he has been holding menorah lightings in the Valley for nearly two decades.
“Every year, we have approximately 10 to 15 people,” he told the crowd, crediting Reynolds and the city’s staff for the turnout.
After Reynolds spoke, he and the rabbi climbed into the bucket of one of the city’s ladder trucks, which slowly lifted them up and over the large replica menorah in Payrow Plaza. Wielding a propane torch, Reynolds lit the first lamp, with the rabbi lighting two more.
MORE: Christkindlmarkt's final day marred by antisemitic hate speech
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Aaron Gorodzinsky, who handles community outreach for theJewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, noted the timing of Sunday’s incident, on the first night of Hanukkah. He said it is particularly painful and almost serendipitous, because it came amid demonstrations of community and solidarity like Monday’s in Payrow Plaza.
“So you know, it couldn't have happened at a worse moment. But also, it happened at a time where all three cities were very aware of the feelings that the Jewish community had because of the rise of antisemitism,” he said.
“The message that should be the punchline,” he said, “is how, in the Lehigh Valley, this is not an acceptable thing to happen.”
