The attack on the Chanukah by the Sea celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, that killed at least 15 people on Sunday also snuffed out what was to be one of the first of some 15,000 public menorah lightings planned worldwide Sunday to kick off the Hanukkah festival.

From New Zealand to Hawaii and thousands of locales large and small in between, Chabad emissaries have made the annual tradition into a landmark event, with public lightings in city squares, parks and even mounted on vehicles, often including the participation of local officials and among the outreach group’s most recognizable and beloved activities.

In Sydney, home to a large Jewish community, the annual Bondi Beach gathering usually features a petting zoo, face painting and box after box of free jelly donuts. (According to an article on the official Chabad website, in 2024, they distributed some 2,500 of the fried treats). This year, Sunday’s Hanukkah party in Sydney drew around 1,000 celebrants, according to police.

First conceived over half a century ago, the public menorah lightings have become the most recognizable Jewish event for the general public organized by the Hasidic sect, whose primary mission is to engage Jews and encourage them to participate in Jewish life.

It all started in 1973, when Chabad Rebbe Menachem M. Schneerson launched a campaign to encourage Jews to celebrate Hanukkah. His plan, according to the official Chabad website, included supporting every Jewish household in lighting a menorah, inviting neighbors and friends to join, gathering and teaching children the holiday’s story, and encouraging them to give charity.

A relatively minor holiday........

© The Times of Israel