Festival denies menorah lighting event due to ongoing war in Israel
Rabbi Mendy Heber speaks out after a local Virginia festival rejected his offer to hold a menorah lighting, with organizers admitting in private they didn't want to be seen as 'taking a side.'
A Virginia rabbi spoke out after a local street fair denied his request to hold a menorah lighting in honor of Hanukkah, arguing the organizers are unfairly aligning the annual Jewish tradition with the war in Gaza.
Rabbi Mendy Heber wanted to hold the annual celebration at Williamsburg's 2nd Sundays Art and Music Festival, but organizers denied his request over concerns it would look like the event was "choosing a side" in the war against Hamas.
The organization publicly claimed the denial was because it does not permit religious celebrations, but Heber said organizers privately admitted they could allow the event if an Islamic group was also included.
"It seems like they see it is that a Jew is responsible for other people's actions," Heber said during "America's Newsroom" on Thursday. "Hanukkah is the message of victory over 2000 years ago and the time of the Holy Temple and also the kindling of the menorah with the oil that lasted for eight days, and perhaps people try to connect it to the modern world."
"The modern-day fight that's going on in Gaza… that is not the message of Hanukkah," he continued. "So to connect those two is un-American. It's what we feel [is] discriminatory."
Heber said he received a private text message from the event organizer who said: "Unless we could get an Islamic group to participate at the same time. We are about Peace, Love & light... don't want to make it seem we're choosing a side - supporting the killing/bombing of thousands of men, women and children."
A Virginia festival denied a rabbi's request to hold a menorah lighting in honor of Hanukkah ('America's Newsroom' screengrab)
Those involved with the event also proposed having a call for a cease-fire under the menorah, according to Heber, which he argued was a clear indication they were taking a "political side."
"They came back to us and said, ‘Hey, we would be ready with the proposal if we would have a cease-fire banner under the menorah,’ clearly taking a political side and welcoming the menorah under certain circumstances," he said.
Publicly, the event organizers released a statement on the matter pushing back on critics' claims that the move was discriminatory against the Jews.
"It was a proposed event, but not consistent with the purpose of this non-religious community art and music festival and the proposal was denied," Shirley Vermillion, the event founder, said in a statement. "In 14 years this street festival has never had a religious program as one of its events. This is not a discriminatory act but one based on the objectives of the organization and the sincere desire to make this monthly event a place where all people can come together to enjoy MUSIC and ART."
Regardless, Heber argued the denial was hurtful to the Jewish community.
"When the organizer went back to the board, the board said, 'Hey, we don't think that this is appropriate given the current situation in Israel,' which is kind of hurting for the entire Jewish community," Heber said.
"Picking a side, we're American Jews, and we're here to celebrate life, to celebrate love of Hanukkah, and to share it with the world. I thought it was very appropriate and such a lovely festival."
"I'm here to express that we're with the world, not just the Jewish community, and they were really excited about it. They are wonderful people. The organizer has been doing so much for our small town here in Waynesburg, and they get the full credit, but when that message came back to us, it kind of hurt and it hurt really strongly," he continued. "We're very proud of the Jewish communities."
Since the denial, political leaders from both sides of the aisle have come out to condemn the action, calling for a reversal as Jews across the globe begin their annual Hanukkah celebrations.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin posted on X, "Singling out the Jewish community by canceling this Hanukkah celebration is absurd and antisemitic. The event organizers should immediately reconsider their actions and move forward with the menorah lighting."
"Canceling the menorah lighting ceremony and holding Jewish people responsible for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is shocking and outrageous," Democratic Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn said on X. "This type of hate has no place in Virginia. The organizers should reverse this decision immediately."
