This year’s Hanukkah observance, which began at sundown Sunday, has a different feel. More ordinary than uneasy. “We are back to normal holiday celebrations, really,” said Rabbi Jay Sherwood of Temple Shalom in Colorado Springs, which follows principles of both Conservative and Reform Jewis h movements. He led a community-wide Hanukkah lighting at his synagogue Sunday night with prayer, singing and traditional desserts such as potato pancakes fried in oil and jelly-filled donuts. Between 75 and 100 people attend the event every year, the rabbi estimated. The U.S.-brokered peace agreement to end the war between Gaza and Israel, which took effect on Oct. 10 — three days after the second anniversary of the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel — has led to a joyous atmosphere for Jews worldwide. “It’s a little more lighthearted,” said Jeff Ader, immediate past president of Temple Beit Torah, a Reform synagogue in Colorado Springs. “I wouldn’t say that everything has passed, but things are looking better than they have for quite a while,” he said. “There’s a little bit less anxiety, although we’re still cautiously optimistic that things will keep improving.” The remains of one Israeli police officer taken captive are still in Gaza; all other live hostages and remains of deceased bodies have been returned to Israel, as the first step in the agreement between the two governments. Temple Beit Torah’s community celebration is Friday. The ancient December holiday is fitting for today’s global situation, according to Sherwood. “Hanukkah has always represented a hope for religious freedom, and it’s always represented bringing more light into the world,” he said. “It’s been that way for thousands of years now, and we hope it continues that way.” Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Jewish rebels, the Maccabees, defeated the tyrannical Syrian-Greek army. The victory meant Jews could practice their religion freely. Today’s holiday commemorates the miracle of a single day’s supply of olive oil miraculously burning in the temple for eight days, which believers say symbolizes the triumph of light, faith and resilience over darkness and oppression. Hanukkah is observed for eight days, ending this year on the evening of Dec. 22. Rituals include lighting candles nightly, playing games, exchanging small gifts, singing songs and sharing special foods. “It’s always great to take a moment at a time like this where’s there’s a lot of darkness, antisemitism is on the rise, and divisions in our country and the world are getting wider and wider, to think as we light the candles of Hanukkah maybe that inspires us to shine a light of goodness in the world,” Sherwood said. With anti-Jewish sentiment still high, Ader said leaders of his synagogue are doing their best to remind others of the contributions that Jewish people have made to society over the years. “There’s this false narrative that Jews control everything, that’s pushed forward by people who are discontented with society, the world and their own life,” he said. “When, if you think about it, we’re less than 2% of the population. We’re a group of people that value community, and we value education, and we value social justice.” Members of Temple Beit Torah will volunteer on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Food Trucks for the Homeless, he said, helping provide hundreds of meals for people who have nowhere to go for the Christian holiday. “This came forward this year as a high priority, to help our Christian neighbors,” Ader said. “We’re wishing everyone a season of light. We’re always trying to bring a little more light into the darkness.” The war between Gaza and Israel produced backlash from Palestinian supporters and protesters, resulting in a rise in antisemitism and hate crimes across the nation, particularly on college campuses. Nearly half of the 35 college campuses in the Anti-Defamation League’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card improved this year over 2024, due to major policy changes in response to rising campus antisemitism and revised demonstration policies. More than one-third of U.S. colleges and universities received grades of A or B from the organization, which tracks hate crimes nationwide. About 10% were given a grade of F, and one in five received a D grade. Though there is a ceasefire and ongoing negotiations to keep the peace between Gaza and Israel, targeted actions against Jewish people in the U.S. are continuing. On Dec. 3, eight students at a high school in San Jose, Calif., laid down on the football field in the shape of a human swastika. They posted a photo online with an antisemitic quote from the Holocaust leader, Adolf Hitler. According to news reports, the event is being investigated by local police as a hate crime. The Anti-Defamation League tabulated a record 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. in its 2024 audit. That reflected a 5% increase over 2023 and a nearly 900% increase over the past 10 years. Every synagogue in Colorado has stepped up safety techniques, Sherwood said. For example, at Temple Shalom, nonmembers must register with a photo identification in advance to attend any events. Antisemitism exists locally at work and in the community, primarily with words, Sherwood noted, and not destructive or violent actions. “There haven’t been any giant news-making antisemitic incidents, but it doesn’t mean they’re not happening,” he said. “It means they’re on a scale. Synagogues have increased security measures, but we’re not going to let security concerns take away from the joy of the holiday.” ...read more read less