Hundreds of people from the Jewish community on Monday gathered along the banks of the San Antonio River Walk at the Arneson River Theatre for the 27th year to light the sixth candle of the menorah.
Chanukah On The River, hosted by the Chabad Center for Jewish Life & Learning, commemorates the sixth day of Chanukah, or Hanukkah, a family Festival of Lights that lasts eight nights. It started Christmas Day this year and leads into 2025.
It’s one of the first major Jewish festivals since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel killing 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The death toll in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 45,000 people.
Earlier this month, Israeli and Hamas leaders expressed hopes that talks brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States could lead to an agreement to halt the fighting and return 138 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, potentially opening the way to a full ceasefire agreement, according to Reuters.
On Monday, Reuters reported that talk of a deal before the end of the year has faded and it remains unclear how near the two sides are to an agreement.
Hanukkah celebrates the Jewish fighter’s rise against the Syrian Greeks, who imposed idolatry on Jewish people who believed in one God, and set up their gods in their temple.
The Jewish people of Israel, or Maccabees, rededicated the temple, and a miracle happened. There was only enough oil for the menorah to last one day, but it burned for eight days.
Since then, Jewish people around the world kindle the menorah as the date that miracle happened, every night lighting one more candle.
“It’s about the power of light, of warmth, of holiness, and it’s about religious freedom, which is what our country stands for, that everybody can practice as they please,” said Rabbi Chaim Block, founder of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life & Learning, before the event Monday afternoon.
“Even more important that Jewish people feel they can safely identify in the center of our city,” Block said.
Four barges filled of children waving and smiling began to pass through the Arneson River Theatre on Monday evening.
Later, from the stage, Block opened by acknowledging families still held hostage.
“Let us also pray for peace in the Middle East, for a cessation of violence, for families to be able to live in peace throughout the Middle East,” he said. “Let us pray for our soldiers who are fighting courageously and valiantly for freedom and liberty…”
Along the banks of the River Walk, parents, kids, and entire families filled the seats at the theater, some enjoying Chanukah donuts as security officers kept watch for suspicious activity.
Many were members of the Jewish community from different synagogues, but there were also non-Jewish people of different faiths who joined the celebration.
Nissim Black, an American-Israeli rapper, performed as this year’s entertainment, inviting attendees to dance The Horah to a rap beat in unison to the “The Hava Song,” which is a traditional “Hava Nagila” Jewish folk song over a beat. Teens and young adults recorded older people dancing to the music in the audience.
Suzanne Patrick has been attending Chanukah On The River since 2009 with her family. Patrick, a transplant from New York, said she saw a lot more people this year.
“There’s something post-Oct. 7 and people feeling like it’s important to have unity among different faiths, respect and tolerance of others,” Patrick said. “People are upbeat, but … we still have 100 people still [hostage], it’s bittersweet. You want to celebrate the light of Hanukkah, but you also know there are people [held hostage].”
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who hasn’t missed a Chanukah On The River since his time in city council, addressed attendees at the annual event for the last time as mayor. He completes his fourth and final term next May.
“It’s time for us to recognize and remind each other that it is the light that drowns out the darkness in all aspects of this world,” Nirenberg said. “San Antonio is now one of the fastest growing cities in the country, but we recognize that even as we grow, our heart remains large and we allow for the celebrations of all of our faith traditions.”
