The Brighton Beach community came together last week near Coney Island for a joyous menorah lighting, marking the first night of Hanukkah with a celebration of light, unity and freedom.
Rabbi David and Rebbetzin Yocheved Okunov of the Warbasse Jewish Heritage Congregation led families in kindling the neighborhood’s menorah near the corner of West 5th Street and Neptune Avenue.
Dozens gathered for a night of music, refreshments, gifts and listened to speakers honoring the neighborhood’s Jewish heritage. The holiday marks an ancient victory and a holy miracle — when just one days’ worth of oil left in the Second Temple, in Jerusalem, which had just been reclaimed by the Maccabees, lasted for eight days.
Former Council Member Ari Kagan addressed the crowd as his family as he took the microphone to speak. After wishing everyone a happy Hanukkah, Kagan led the group in a chant of “Am Yisroel Chai” (“The People of Israel Live!”) in a show of solidarity.
“Victory over darkness,” said Kagan, noting that the menorah celebrates the “strength” of the Jewish people. “No matter what we are going through — Jewish people will never ever give up. We will always fight and we always will win.”
City Council Member Inna Vernikov, whose district encompasses a large portion of southern Brooklyn, led with her unwavering support of Zionism in the wake of Oct. 7 and the ongoing war in Gaza.
“Without Israel, there’s no Jewish people and there’s no Jewish people without Israel,” Vernikov said. “In order to continue having freedom, we need to continue speaking up, standing up, and fighting for our freedom — and Hanukkah is such a relevant time for that.”
Michael Silverman, a board member of Amalgamated Warbasse House, which supports public safety and crime prevention in the community, said he hopes the light of the menorah will help lead home the Oct. 7 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, more than a year after they were kidnapped.
“As we light the candles, we need to think about what it really means,” he told the crowd. “Tonight, we light the first candle, and hopefully, it will light the way for our hostages to come back home, to light the path for them.”
In celebration of the fifth night of Hanukkah, the Warbasse Jewish Heritage Congregation will host an event at the Chabad Oceanview Jewish Center on Dec. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Additional reporting by Arthur de Gaeta
