Bronx residents prepare for Hanukkah amid rising antisemitic acts

Traditions like lighting the menorah, eating latkes and playing dreidel are key to celebrating the holiday.

Lindsay Tanney

Dec 24, 2024, 3:37 AM

Updated 2 days ago

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Bronx residents are gearing up to celebrate Hanukkah, which begins Wednesday night.
The holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the miracle of oil lasting eight days in the ancient temple.
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, of the Chabad of Riverdale, calls it a reminder that “good will always overcome evil.”
Traditions like lighting the menorah, eating latkes and playing dreidel are key to celebrating the holiday.
This year, the celebration comes as city data shows a 15% rise in antisemitic hate crimes from last year to this year. But residents like Jonah Stern emphasize the importance of Jewish pride.
“We’ve never been prouder," he says.