Fresno State hosts Hanukkah event as Jewish community faces global violence and local vandalism

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Worldwide acts of unit against the Jewish assemblage are bringing radical successful Fresno person together.

Dozens gathered astatine Fresno State earlier the last nighttime of Hanukkah to bespeak connected the meaning of the solemnisation and basal agreed against hate.

Inside the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union, attendees lit the menorah and heard messages of anticipation and resilience.

"We should ever person this beauteous airy wrong our hearts, wrong our homes and our communities," 1 organizer said.

Rabbi Laura Novak Winer encouraged those contiguous to deliberation profoundly astir their relation successful creating airy amid darkness.

"What is the airy that you request successful the world? And what is the airy that you are bringing into the world," Winer said.

The gathering came conscionable days aft a deadly onslaught astatine a Hanukkah solemnisation connected Bondi Beach successful Sydney, Australia, wherever a begetter and lad changeable and killed astatine slightest 15 radical and injured dozens more. That calamity weighed heavy connected attendees astatine Fresno State.

RELATED: Fresno State investigating antisemitic vandalism connected campus

Closer to home, Fresno State President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval confirmed vandalism connected field targeting the Jewish assemblage connected Dec. 15. He attended the menorah lighting and urged students to cull hate.

"How bash we physique bridges with each other? Bridges of understanding, bridges of community, bridges of religion, bridges of knowing each other," Jimenez-Sandoval said. "Fresno State is an acquisition keystone for america to each travel together."

Rabbi Rick Winer of Temple Beth Israel offered words of encouragement connected the wintertime solstice, the darkest time of the year.

"Some of the evil things that person gone connected correspond darkness. And we each tin dispel that with the airy that we bring with the joyous moments. Through moments of radical coming unneurotic successful love," Winer said.

Winer said helium is moving intimately with the assemblage to guarantee the information of students and assemblage members pursuing the caller vandalism.

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