Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "Even in the darkest of times, hope endures and light endures."
Hanukkah is a special time of year for the Jewish community, but this year's holiday carries some extra weight following the horrific antisemitic attack on Sunday at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.
The ripple effects of the attack that left 15 people dead and some 40 others still hospitalized have certainly been felt on the Western New York Jewish community.
"I think everyone's in shock, reeling. This is Hanukkah, one of our happiest holidays, and for this to happen is just devastating," said Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein of Congregation Shir Shalom.
"Our hearts are broken," added Rabbi Laizer Labkovski from the Center for Jewish Life. "We pray for the families of the deceased and for all those, there are still 40 in the hospitals and ICUs. We pray for them and a speedy recovery."
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On the second night of Hanukkah on Monday, members of the local Jewish community gathered outside the Wegmans on Sheridan Drive to light the menorah, while also remembering those lost in the attack over the weekend.
Miriam Abramovich, CEO of the Buffalo Jewish Federation, understands how difficult it was for many people in the Jewish community to hear of what happened on Sunday in one of the larger populated Jewish communities in all of Australia.
"Jewish people gathering on the beach to celebrate Hanukkah, it was heartbreaking," said Abramovich in an interview with WBEN. "And as Jewish professionals and leaders, yesterday was really about security, about ensuring we had all of our protocols in place so that celebrations like today could happen. Community members and friends could come out and celebrate in safety."
Labkovski felt Monday's gathering to light the menorah on the second day of Hanukkah was important to help allow the local Jewish community a time to heal together.
"It's extremely important not to let our enemies break our spirits. But because of that, even more, we should go out, be proud Jews, not be embarrassed of our tradition, and go out and gather together for holiday gatherings," he said.
In light of the attack on the Jewish community at Bondi Beach on Sunday, local Jewish leaders have already received a number of calls from various religious denominations and other local leaders in support during this difficult time. This included a call from Bishop Michael Fisher, head of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese.
"There's a lot of care that we felt," Lazarus-Klein said.
Lazarus-Klein says it can be a very small world in the Jewish community sometimes, and he's already learned of a couple of Western New York connections to the attack. He says the rabbi that was killed, Eli Schlanger, has connections through the Lubavitchers, and had his parents actually lived in the region for a brief period of time. Another connection Lazarus-Klein has learned of is an individual that was injured happens to be the brother of a colleague of his.
Labkovski did know Schlanger and his family personally, as they actually were in London for the couple of years Labkovski studied.
"I remember [Eli] as a little kid, 5-6-years-old, and the parents actually moved to Buffalo. They lived here 2009-to-2012 and he would come to visit. He was a remarkable boy, a brilliant boy, nice, and he dedicated his life to spread the light, to show love. That's what he dedicated his life to," Labkovski recalled.
"Really friendly, nice family. It's just so heartbreaking, so heartbreaking to see them in this situation. I'm gonna make sure to call them tomorrow and share our thoughts."
For Abramovich, she knows how resilient the Jewish community is, and how optimistic and hopeful the people can be.
"The story of Hanukkah itself is also about a small band of people who fought to be able to observe their faith, who fought to be able to live their lives Jewishly. So it's a privilege to be here tonight with Jews, also with friends who are here to support us. It's a joy mixed in with the sorrow of what happened yesterday," Abramovich said.
Lazarus-Klein says while the Jewish community has received support from those on the outside, more support is always welcome.
"This is a very raw time to have such a devastating attack, another attack. This is one of countless that have happened over the last several years, and anyone that reaches out to your Jewish friends and neighbors, it really matters and it's really appreciated," he acknowledged. "Thank you, those of you that are doing that, and we hope that here in Western New York and for the rest of the holiday, it is a safe and beautiful holiday, and we have a chance to be together with our friends and our community."
When it comes safety for the local Jewish community, as a result of the attacks at Bondi Beach, Abramovich knows they have to be extra vigilant.
"Our federation built its security program in 2018 after the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh, so we pay attention to security every day," she noted. "We have a very robust program and protocol. We think about it every day, particularly after experiences like this. It's one of the most important things we do in the community, and it's just always worth noting too we do it in partnership with some amazing law enforcement professionals. We couldn't do it alone."
And for anyone looking to share in the celebration of Hanukkah this year, Abramovich adds there are several ways to do just that.
"There's dozens of Hanukkah celebrations happening all across Western New York over the next few days. I encourage people, if they're interested, if they don't have a menorah at home to light, go to BuffaloJewishFederation.org, our community calendar lists lots of different ways to light a menorah and celebrate with others," Abramovich said.