Elmont Jewish Center celebrates Hanukkah with a menorah lighting

This year, Rabbi Chaim Blachman feels it is as important now as ever to bring light to the darkness of anti-semitism.

The Elmont Jewish Center held its annual menorah lighting on Dec. 10. Congregants blessed the candles and sang songs of prayer together. They want to fight anti-semitism, which is on the rise.

“We’re trying to strengthen Judaism,” Blachman said. “To make sure everyone has a menorah and everyone has the tradition.”

Blachman became Rabbi at the Elmont Jewish Center about 20 years ago. He had been coming to the Elmont Jewish Center for Simchat Torah for about 10 years before that. But that year, the previous Rabbi Polter couldn’t lead the services, so he asked Blachman to fill in for him. The next year, Rabbi Polter had to move to another city, so Blachman stepped in as the regular Rabbi.

These days, there’s a new synagogue in Cambria Heights where the Elmont Jewish Center congregation meets for weekly Shabbat services and other events. They still use the Elmont Jewish Center for major holidays.

Blachman and the congregation want to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah.

“Continuing the tradition of lighting the menorah here, we’re trying to keep whatever we have going alive,” Blachman said. “Especially at this time when anti-semitism is at its peak. We have to do everything we can to combat anti-semitism.”

This rise in antisemitism is reflected in recent statistics. The Anti-Defamation League found that October 2023 saw an increase in antisemitic harassment, vandalism and assault by 388 percent over the same month in the previous year. But the Jewish faith is still strong.

“Now we have menorahs all over the place,” Blachman said. “In Central Park, the Eiffel Tower, in Israel. As a matter of fact there was even a huge menorah lit in Southern Gaza this year.”

The menorah lighting at the Elmont Jewish Center started in the 1970s and has continued every year since. Leslie Weinstein has been coming for the last 40 years.

“The menorah symbolizes bringing the light into the world, because it’s so dark now,” Weinstein said. “Light meaning having hope, having something to look forward to.”

But the congregation has had to fight the tide of a dwindling Jewish population in Elmont. Rabbi Chaim is personally responsible for holding it together.

“Our Rabbi, Rabbi Chaim, is a very selfless person,” said Weinstein. “If it wasn’t for him, this would be a different kind of institution. Because of Chabad and him personally, this place is still alive.”

The congregation started in a storefront in Elmont in 1948. Then, in 1952, the congregation got together and built the Elmont Jewish Center brick by brick. The first Rabbi, Glazier, served until 1986. They feel a purpose in holding it together.

“To show love to all fellow Jews,” Blachman said. “To help any other Jew to give them what they need.”

Hanukkah is technically a minor Jewish holiday. But, because of its nearness to Christmas and the celebration of light in the winter time, it’s become a most-beloved one. Now it ranks with Passover and Purim.

The story isn’t even in the Bible. It was recorded later in Maccabees I and II in a collection of writings known as the Apocrypha. The story of Hanukkah is a simple one.

In 168 B.C.E. the Syrian king Antiochus outlawed Judaism and forced current Jews into conversion, their only other option being death. When the main temple in Jerusalem was to be dedicated to Zeus, the priestly family known as the Maccabees led an uprising. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the resistance won two decisive battles against Greek Syria and drove them out of the city.

This year, Rabbi Blachman has a very Jewish prayer for Hanukkah.

“Peace in Israel, success for everybody and health for everybody,” Blachman said.