Clevelanders Shine a Light on Hate

During the Chanukah season, the Federation joined with community partners and people of all faiths to celebrate the holiday with a community menorah lighting service. As part of a national initiative, the event – known as Shine A Light – brought together people from across the Greater Cleveland community to call attention to the rise in antisemitism and Jew hatred.

Although several of the speakers came from different faiths, the message from each was consistent – hate has no home in Northeast Ohio; when one community hurts, all communities hurt; and only together can we be stronger than hate. Federation Community Relations Committee Chair Gregg Levine told the crowd, “We are here with so many other people in the community – the Black community, the Latino community, the Asian community – who are with us to celebrate Chanukah and fight discrimination.”

“We all have to stand against hate of any kind,” said Masroor Malik, director of Chagrin Valley Islamic Center. “We are here to support our Jewish brothers and sisters, and make sure we are standing together with all of them.”

“Chanukah is a season of light and a season of shared miracles,” said Andy Call, lead pastor at Church of the Saviour. “We want to shed a light on all faith communities that are under attack and it’s really important for all of us to stand together.”

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