Sudbury hosts second annual menorah lighting at city hall

Sudbury held its second annual menorah lighting at city hall Wednesday, a public display of solidarity days after the tragedy struck in Australia.

The warm glow of the menorah returned to city hall for Sudbury’s second annual public lighting ceremony Wednesday night.

“I grew up Jewish, and it’s to show the solidarity, especially after the darkness of what happened in Australia,” said Mike Cartman, who attended the ceremony.

While Hanukkah is traditionally a time of celebration, this year’s Festival of Lights ceremony carried a heavier significance, with the event drawing a diverse crowd.

“I’m not Jewish, but I’m part of the community,” said Sudbury resident Deborah Knuff.

“The Jewish community is hurting. Whatever part of the community is hurting, that’s where we need to be.”

Following Sunday’s devastating terrorist attack in Australia, security at Tom Davies was noticeably tighter, but organizers said the goal wasn’t to dwell on fear, but to celebrate survival.

‘We’re really such a small group’

“Typically, when something very bad like this happens, people know other people on the other side of the world,” said Emily Caruso Parnell, board president of the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue.

“It’s not uncommon to have family or friend connections with communities that are geographically far away because we’re really such a small group. We’re very sad, but we have to hold that we’re also celebrating a holiday at the same time.”

Caruso Parnell said Hanukkah is meant to be celebrated publicly.

“You’re commanded to place a menorah in the window and to make sort of known, publicly, the miracle of the of the light, the miracle of the oil, and the miracle of sort of Jewish survival, essentially,” she said.

“Certainly this is just kind of an enhanced version of that where we get to spread that light and really share that celebration with the whole community.”

Antisemitism rising

The ceremony was also attended by Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who stopped in Sudbury during her tour of northern Ontario.

Stiles emphasized that more must be done to protect places of worship.

“There is a rise in antisemitism, not just around the world, but here in our communities in Ontario,” she said.

“Nobody should be afraid of worshiping and celebrating their religion or their culture in our society. It’s more important than ever that we are here with our Jewish friends and neighbours.”

Caruso Parnell said she hopes people will see the event as an opportunity to show that they are standing as allies of the Jewish community at a time when it is needed.

“I think that it’s a great opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity that we all value in Canada, where we want to have support and space and an openness to other cultures,” she said.