Fight fire with fire!

Message from Rabbi Yossy Goldman 

What a start to our Chanukah celebrations! We are all absolutely devastated at the terrible terror attack on Sydney’s Jewish community who were ushering in the Chanukah festivities on Bondi Beach with a public menorah lighting. Our festival has been struck with unspeakable grief and tragedy. 

As the rabbi who initiated the public Festival of Lights with the giant menorah here in Johannesburg back in the late 1970s, I am personally affected by this horrific hate crime perpetrated against our people at such an event. Our hearts go out to all the families of the victims, and our prayers are with those injured for compete and speedy recoveries, please G-d. That the rabbi who had organised this proud Jewish event should himself have fallen victim to these monsters is doubly painful. 

So the intifada has now officially been globalised. We pray there will finally be a strong and unequivocal response from the Australian government and, indeed, from leaders around the world. We pray this is the end of such attacks and not the beginning. 

As we say in the second blessing recited when we kindle the chanukiah, “Blessed are you Hashem, our G-d and King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this season.” We need miracles not only in “those days” of old, but in “this season” of our lives and our people, in Israel and all over the world. May we all be safe, sound, and protected from any harm whatsoever. 

It is difficult to carry on with festivities, especially public menorah lightings, at a time like this. But I pray that we will still have the inner strength to maintain our Jewish identity and the practice of our traditions after this horrific tragedy. And that, no matter what, we will continue to follow our faith proudly – and even defiantly – in the face of hate, terror, and tyranny. 

We need light now more than ever. We must fight the fire of terror with the fire of our faith. May the Chanukah lights continue to burn brightly in Bondi and the world over. Amen. 

• Rabbi Yossy Goldman is the president of the South African Rabbinical Association.