Hanukkah is one of the most visibly recognized Jewish holidays in the Western world. This is largely because it coincides with Christmas. If you live in a decent-sized city, you are likely to see menorahs lit alongside Christmas trees in malls or outside city halls. Often called the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah commemorates a mythic story of a miracle that carries enduring lessons for all of us, Jewish or not, even today.

When I say “today,” I mean it in two ways. I mean it broadly, in reference to the world we are living in right now. I also mean it literally. Early this morning, two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia. As of this writing, 16 people are confirmed dead and 29 wounded. As is often the case within the Jewish community, the ripple effects of this tragedy are felt globally, including here in San Diego.

Among the deceased was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who had organized the event in Sydney. Rabbi Schlanger was a classmate of the rabbi who serves at the synagogue my wife’s family attends. My wife and I were there just yesterday for Shabbat, spending the day with him, his wife, and their two beautiful children. His daughter is obsessed with my dog, who they generously allowed to wander the synagogue freely after services.

Tonight, despite learning on the same day that his

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