Members of the Beverly Hills City Council, along with Israel Bachar, Consul General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest, participated in a Dec. 30 menorah lighting ceremony at Beverly Gardens Park.
The ceremony began shortly after sundown with Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman’s opening remarks, in which he welcomed attendees and fellow Councilmembers John Mirisch and Craig Corman. Those comments were followed by a brief speech by Bachar.
Addressing the large crowd, which was seated and standing, Bachar spoke about the meaning of Hanukkah and the holiday’s relevance in the current moment.
“The lighting of this menorah tells the world that Israel’s light will never be dimmed,” said Bachar from behind a podium, flanked by two statues of dreidels. “The Maccabees fought for national Jewish freedom … The biggest miracle of the last 2,000 years is the creation of the State of Israel. That’s basically the ultimate victory for the Maccabees. They kept the Jewish identity.”
Bachar was referring to the story of Hanukkah, which tells the tale of the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors who revolted against the Seleucid Empire in the second century BCE. The Maccabees were victorious; they recovered Jerusalem and rededicated their temple. As part of that rededication, oil that was expected to burn for only one night burned for eight. In Judaism, this is known as the miracle of Hanukkah and is the reason for the celebration lasting eight nights.
In his remarks, Bachar went on to express gratitude to the city of Beverly Hills.
“Hanukkah is also about unity,” he said, “So the State of Israel, the people of Israel, say thank you to the Beverly Hills community, that it is [in] unity with the people of Israel every day of the year, not only in Hanukkah.”
Friedman added that the evening’s event should be a reminder of uniting against hate, particularly as the current war between Israel and Hamas rages on.
“As we all know, this has been a very, very difficult time in the world for so many,” said Friedman. “Words cannot express the sadness that we all feel for the horrific events that occurred on Oct. 7, and here we are over a year later, in the second Hanukkah, and the pain is still there as more lives continue to be lost, and the hostages are still held captive. Now more than ever, we must remain strong and resilient.”
Friedman then invited the other councilmembers in attendance to join him in lighting the menorah.
“As customary lights are displayed in our homes, in the windows, to show that there is light and the light is there,” Friedman said. “In the spirit of Hanukkah and inclusivity for all, we wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.”
