Town Manager Lyn Simmons talks with state Sen. John Velis, Police Chief Robert Stocks and Fire Chief John Rigney.
Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen
LONGMEADOW — Hebrew singing carried over the Town Green as scores of families, elected officials and community leaders watched as Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy’s Rabbi Noah Kosofsky lit the sixth torch atop the community’s menorah, commemorating Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is a celebration of a miracle, Kosofsky told those gathered. More than 2,000 years ago, in 165 BCE, the Jewish Maccabees reclaimed the Temple Mount in Jerusalem from the Greek ruler Antiochus IV, who had outlawed Judaism three years earlier. The “miracle,” as Kosofsky explained, was that while rededicating the temple, there was only enough oil to keep the lamps lit for a single night, but the oil lasted eight nights until more oil could be procured. The eight nights of Hanukkah commemorate the event.
The holiday is a reminder “to add light, to bring warmth, to adhere to our religion,” Kosofsky said.
Kosofsky said this year’s holiday, which ran from Dec. 25, 2024, to Jan. 2, marked another anniversary. It was also the 50th year of public menorah lightings in the United States, which began after the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Casting an eye to the Israel-Hamas War, he prayed for the safe return of hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, and an end to the war.
Lyn Simmons said that in her role as town manager, she enjoys attending “any event that draws our community together,” but especially those that “celebrates our diversity.”
Select Board Chair Vineeth Hemavathi spoke more about the ongoing war. At last year’s menorah lighting, people gathered “in the midst of a great tragedy,” he said, remarking that a year later, the “tragedy” continues. He urged people to come together.
Select Board member Dan Zwirko praised the town’s Fire and Police departments, the chiefs of which were present, for making residents “feel safe” since the war began. To members of the Jewish community, he said, “Longmeadow is here to support you.” Kosofsky responded, “We know you have our backs.”
State Rep. Brian Ashe and state Sens. John Velis and Jake Oliveira attended the ceremony. Oliveira commented, “The Festival of Lights,” as the holiday is known, “really shows the power of this community.”
Velis shared that he had visited Israel in July of 2023, before the war, and returned recently. He described seeing the change to the landscape as “sad, heartbreaking.” He finished by saying, “Light will always, always, always prevail over darkness.”
After the speakers had finished, children cheered as treats, known as gelt, were dropped from the raised ladder of a firetruck, gliding to the ground on colorful parachutes. Families finished the event by enjoying potato pancakes — latkes — and hot drinks.
