Hanukkah 2023: Why Jewish celebrations are being canceled nationwide

Multiple Hanukkah celebrations have been toned down or canceled this year due to a rise in antisemitism in the United States, and following the outbreak of a war in Israel, with the terrorist organization Hamas.

There have been at least four instances of a Hanukkah celebration being canceled or dialed back in the U.S. this year, with other celebrations in Europe also being canceled to avoid inflaming tensions during the conflict in the Middle East. At least one event in London was canceled by the city council for this purpose.

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Williamsburg, Virginia

One menorah candle-lighting event at an art and music festival in Williamsburg, Virginia, was canceled this week over concerns that allowing the celebration would be choosing a side in the conflict.

“We are about Peace, Love & light,” the event founder Shirley Vermillion told a local rabbi in a text message shared with the Washington Post. “We don’t want to make it seem we’re choosing a side — supporting the killing/bombing of thousands of men, women & children.”

The rabbi emphasized that a Hanukkah celebration, which celebrates a military victory in the second century B.C. but is known as a “festival of lights,” has nothing to do with the war going on in Israel. However, the event’s board only agreed to reinstate the lighting if it happened under a banner that called for a ceasefire.

The event has since drawn rebuke from bipartisan leaders in the state, who have urged the event to allow the lighting.

“Singling out the Jewish community by canceling this Hanukkah celebration is absurd and antisemitic,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “The event organizers should immediately reconsider their actions and move forward with the menorah lighting.”

Washington, D.C.

An exclusive invite-only bash was canceled in Washington D.C. by its host, media consultant, and former Bill Clinton White House press aide Steve Rabinowitz.

The event, called Latkes and Vodka, which features a vodka bar, latkes, and Israeli-style sufganiyot, or jelly-filled doughnuts, usually draws White House staff, members of Congress, Israeli Embassy staff, sitting ambassadors, and about 300 Jewish community leaders, according to the Washington Post.

“I just don’t feel right hosting a party this year, given Oct. 7 and in the middle of an actual war,” Rabinowitz wrote in an email on Tuesday.

New Orleans, Louisiana

A brewery in New Orleans canceled its planned celebrations on Wednesday, the day before the event was supposed to take place, citing external tensions.

“Our intent has always been to host a lighthearted and conflict-free celebration, providing a space for diverse communities to come together and enjoy the spirit of Hanukkah,” the Zony Mash Beer Project said in a statement. “Unfortunately, challenges beyond our control have compromised our ability to ensure a joyful and safe environment.”

The brewery also announced it would be closed that day, which marked the first of the eight days of Hanukkah. The statement did not provide details on the tensions, but Jewish activist Adam Mayer, who was supposed to be at the event with his pop-up “Latkes Daddy,” said he was uninvited when members of the local Jewish community found out about his views on the conflict.

Houston, Texas

A Jewish house in Houston, which is known for its extravagant decorations, including a blue and white light display, normally attracts thousands of viewers from across the country. However, this year, the house will only feature white lights to symbolize peace.

The house owner, Philip Grosman, told the Chronicle that the family decided to “take a step back” from decorating his home for Hanukkah.

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“My wife and kids are worried we will be the victim of antisemitic attack,” Grossman said. “Maybe we can do something next year.”

Other members of the Jewish community in Houston are also toning down their displays over fears of an antisemitic attack. One local rabbi said she would be displaying a lighted menorah in the window of her house, per tradition, but would not be having the inflated balloons she used before.