Updated Dec. 16 and 29
Reeling from a shooting that killed 15 people at a celebration for the first night of Hanukkah in Sydney, Jewish organizations around the Bay Area are tightening security at holiday gatherings.
Jewish community leaders also shared their resolve, promising to continue to publicly celebrate the holiday with a sense of joyousness.
Rafael Brinner, senior director of the Jewish Federation Bay Area’s community security team, told J. that there are no known current threats to Jewish public safety in the Bay Area. Still, he said the Jewish community should stay vigilant to potential threats and know how to seek safety at a moment’s notice. Close collaboration between synagogues and law enforcement is ongoing. The Federation’s security team also works with the Secure Community Network, a national group dedicated to Jewish safety.
“It’s really critical that everyone raise their level of awareness,” Brinner said. “It’s the best way to channel the fear that we’re all feeling after an event like this. Because that’s what terrorism does. It’s designed to spread fear.”
Hundreds of people gathered in downtown San Francisco for a giant menorah lighting Sunday organized by Chabad of SF. Mayor Daniel Lurie addressed the crowd, noting that Sunday night marked the event’s 50th anniversary.
“On this first day of Hanukkah, providing some light during a very dark day is just what we needed to do,” Lurie said. “I am so honored that you came out to celebrate to bring some joy to this day. And that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”
There was a visible police presence, with about a dozen officers lining the perimeter and a smaller group standing by the menorah. An SFPD mobile command center was stationed across the street.
Manny Yekutiel, the cafe owner and progressive activist who recently announced a run for city supervisor, also took the mic at Union Square, speaking to a heightened level of anxiety among the Jewish community that he felt viscerally.
“I want to be honest with you,” Yekutiel said. “When our amazing mayor was speaking, I had my eyes on the tops of these buildings. Because that’s what it means to be a Jew on a stage today. That’s the reality.”
Added Yekutiel, “Yesterday’s massacre was an attempt to make us afraid, unsafe and unwelcome. But to fight back, we need to be extra visible, extra joyous.”
San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar also attended a menorah lighting in her district, which encompasses large parts of the Inner Parkside and Inner Sunset districts, the West Portal and Lake Merced neighborhoods, as well as San Francisco State University. The celebration, at Lakeside Landing, was hosted by Chabad of the Neighborhood.
Melgar said she had contacted Captain Amy Hurwitz, SFPD’s liaison to the Jewish community, about providing added security.
“This is a popular event, so I was worried,” Melgar told J. “We just know that we have to stay on top of it.”
Hurwitz, who also leads SFPD’s Southern Station, said she’s heard from several community members since news of the mass shooting broke late Saturday night.
“People are afraid. People are scared. That’s what I’m hearing. And they are asking for additional police support to ensure their safety,” she said. “So far, we have been able to meet the demand. And we’re also utilizing plainclothes officers.”
In the wake of the Sydney shooting and amid heightened concerns, the Federation will be offering monthly community security webinars for the public, starting on Wednesday. Similar trainings were offered after the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., in May, and the firebombing attack on pro-Israel marchers in Boulder, Colorado, in June.
For more information on security trainings, visit this site.
The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area noted that it is helping spread the word about the Federation’s community security efforts.
In the East Bay, the Jewish community also banded together for a unity event at Oakland’s Lake Merritt, where the local Chabad center hosts a public menorah lighting on the first night of Hanukkah every year.
This time, Chabad of Oakland was joined by Temple Beth Abraham, Beth Jacob Congregation and Temple Sinai, as well as Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and two Oakland city council members, according to Chabad of Oakland Rabbi Dovid Labkowski.
Lee addressed the crowd at the ceremony, expressing condolences for Sydney’s Jewish community.
“As Oakland’s Jewish community continues Hanukkah celebrations this week, know that this city stands with you,” Lee said. “Even in the face of violence and loss, our collective commitment to justice, dignity, and humanity must burn brighter.”
Labkowski said he was in close contact with police throughout the day. In an email to J. on Monday, the Oakland PD confirmed it had increased its presence near synagogues during Hanukkah.
“To ensure the safety of our community, we remain in close contact with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” the email read. “OPD will continue to monitor the situation.”
While celebrating a Jewish holiday in public is likely to raise safety concerns, Labkowski emphasized that it’s not just a custom of Chabad centers around the world to host menorah lightings outside; it’s a central value of the holiday.
And things haven’t always gone smoothly. Two years ago, Oakland’s public menorah was destroyed in an antisemitic hate crime.
“Generally, most Jewish holidays are celebrated in the synagogue. Hanukkah is unique,” Labkowski said. “It’s the only holiday when we have a mitzvah to go out in the street. We have to go out and publicize it.”
To encourage more households to celebrate the holiday, Chabad centers throughout the Bay Area are giving out free menorah kits upon request for local pickup. But based on the attendance at Sunday night’s lighting, Labkowski believes he will continue to see more people come out to celebrate Hanukkah together.
“While some people were scared to come, many more people wanted to show up,” he said. “They wanted to show support and show that we’re not going to cower. This was important to a lot of people that regularly wouldn’t come out for a menorah lighting. I think that shows really how strong we are as a people.”