Greetings, Beacon readers. Just as Hanukkah celebrations were getting underway Sunday, members of Jewish communities across the world woke up to news of another antisemitic attack, this one occurring on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where hundreds had gathered to celebrate the first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday. Australian officials described the shooting as a terrorist attack carried out by two gunmen, a father and son with ideological motives, who are suspected of killing at least 15 people.

In the Flathead Valley, Jewish faith leaders evoked the deadly shooting as they encouraged Jews and non-Jews to gather for the first night of Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) celebrations, and vowed that darkness would not overcome light in the aftermath of the fatal terror attack.

 “We rise up because at our core we are the light, and the only way to counter such evil darkness is to shine that light,” said Rabbi Shneur Wolf, co-director and spiritual leader of Chabad of the Flathead Valley.

Acknowledging the Jewish community’s profound sadness, despair and terror in the wake of another antisemitic attack, Rabbi Shneur said such events create a ripple effect across the globe, making Jews afraid to celebrate their religion and express themselves. In the Flathead Valley, where the Jewish community is close-knit but underrepresented relative to other parts of the world, Jewish residents and business owners have at times been the target of harassment and intimidation.

The antidote? To stand unified, Rabbi Shneur said.

Sunday’s public menorah lighting in downtown Whitefish’s Depot Park (pictured above, courtesy of photographer Kent Meireis) was a profound example of that strength and resilience, he said, particularly as it drew the largest turnout in eight years. But it doesn’t diminish the pain that antisemitic violence exacts on Jews, which Rabbi Shneur said he’d experienced firsthand this weekend when his colleague, Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was gunned down in the attack.

Still, he said, “we will stand strong and be his light in this dark time.”

“Some people would be afraid to come out after a terrorist attack in Sydney but we saw the opposite,” Rabbi Shneur said. “By sending that message that we are not going to watch darkness and terror define our lives, we show that we continue to be proud Jews. They want us to hide, cower and live in fear, and we won’t allow that to happen. Being a Jew is not a provocation. Lighting a menorah is not a political statement. Lighting a menorah is a declaration of life, of who we are. It is a declaration of goodness by people who want to shine a light around the world and no matter what happens we cannot allow that to be overtaken.”

Today, Jews around the world prepare latkes to reconsecrate the oil and remember the miracle, as well as the historic fight for religious freedom, from the battle of Temple Mount to the Babylonian exile, by lighting one candle of the menorah each night for eight nights and by preparing some of their favorite holiday foods.

And because Hanukkah spans eight days, Rabbi Shneur said Chabad of the Flathead Valley is hosting another celebration called Chanukah On Ice on Dec. 21 at the Stumptown Ice Den in Whitefish at 5:45 p.m.

“We are having an ice menorah built for us, and we will also have hot latkes, donuts, dreidels — and all the fun Chanukah celebration stuff,” Rabbi Shneur said.

I’m Tristan Scott, here to deliver the rest of the Daily Roundup.

This holiday season, celebrate the spirit of our community by shopping local. Every purchase you make from a neighborhood business helps support local jobs, families, and the unique character that makes the Flathead Valley such a special place to call home. From thoughtful gifts to festive experiences, our local shops have everything you need to make the season bright. Here’s some information on how to keep it local this holiday season.