On a chilly Thursday night, people in the Bangor area came together to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. Despite the freezing temperatures, a group of about a few dozen gathered in Peirce Park for the annual event, marking the beginning of the eight-day Festival of Lights.
The highlight of the celebration was the lighting of a nine-foot menorah in downtown Bangor. The festivities included music, food, and a unique touch—chocolate coins wrapped in foil (Hanukkah gelt) were dropped from a Bangor Fire Department ladder truck.
Prayers for Israel were a part of the event, and the Bangor Police Department had an officer present. This was in response to the recent increase in antisemitic incidents across the United States, which rose nearly 400 percent since an attack by Hamas on Israel two months ago, as reported by the Anti-Defamation League.
Rabbi Chaim Wilansky of Congregation Beth Abraham acknowledged that the Israel-Hamas conflict and the rise in antisemitism are alarming. However, he emphasized that the Jewish community has faced hardships and hate before, and they have always emerged stronger.
While Maine has seen fewer antisemitic incidents, it is not immune. Last month, pro-Hamas flyers appeared outside Bangor’s Congregation Beth El. Additionally, a rally in downtown Portland in October demanded a free Palestine and an end to US funding for Israeli apartheid, according to the Maine chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Despite past threats, Wilansky noted that this year, the Jewish community feels the need to celebrate Hanukkah with more resolve and confidence. The public menorah, he said, is a powerful response to negativity. Lighting menorahs in visible locations like windows and doors has become a symbol of freedom from tyranny and oppression, reflecting the principles of equality and religious freedom upon which the country was founded.
Shellie Batuski of Orono expressed her happiness that the Chabad of Bangor decided to hold the menorah lighting celebration despite the wave of antisemitism. Proud of her faith, Batuski emphasized the importance of publicly marking the holiday, especially this year, as Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jews against oppression—a message she believes resonates with current events in Israel.
