12/14/2025
A message from Rabbi Shemtov.
To my beloved friends in Greater Toledo and beyond,
I went to sleep last night, geared up and excited for our Chanukah events. This is our holiday of light and warmth and perseverance and hope, and I was ready to celebrate.
I awoke just a few hours later to the horrific news of the terror attack at a Chanukah event hosted by Chabad of Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where twelve innocent lives were brutally taken, among them my colleague and fellow Emissary of the Rebbe, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, of blessed memory.
The entire Jewish world is in shock and mourning. Our hearts are shattered. We are speechless. We ache for the families of the victims, for the wounded, and for the Jewish community of Sydney. We pray for healing, and we cry out together: enough of this darkness.
Yet, this moment is not about Jews alone. It is not about politics, territory, or geography. What we are witnessing is a challenge to the very foundations of civilized society – to the belief that life is sacred, that every human being is created in the Divine image, and to the firm conviction that goodness and moral responsibility must guide our world. Throughout history, the Jewish people have been targeted because they carry a moral message that evil cannot tolerate. But history has also shown that when good people stand together, evil loses. This is a moment for Jews and non-jews alike to stand together on the same side of history.
The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson of righteous memory, leader of the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement, taught us that the message of Chanukah is the power of light - how it is most potent precisely when the darkness feels overwhelming. Our enemies hope to instill fear so that we retreat and cancel our menorah lightings. We must respond as our ancestors did – not by hiding, but by standing stronger, prouder, and more united than ever. The Chanukah story was born out of devastation, yet it became a celebration of courage, faith, and a single flame that transformed everything.
The message of Chanukah could not be clearer.
We are Judah the Maccabee. We stand strong. We add more light than ever before.
The world needs more light. The world needs more people willing to celebrate their faith and heritage fearlessly.
That is why I am urging every member of the Greater Toledo community – Jewish and non-Jewish, men, women, and children – to come together tonight, not only as an act of solidarity with the Jewish people, but as a declaration that all good people stand on the front lines of this moral struggle. We prevail when we stand united, grounded in pride, strength, kindness, and the unshakable belief in the dignity of human life.
Please join us tomorrow, Monday, December 15, at 4:45 PM at Franklin Park Mall, Food Court, for the 38th Annual Community Menorah Lighting at the Mall.
Let us meet this moment together, bring light into the darkness, and show the world that when humanity stands as one, evil does not win.
Raizel, Mushka and rabbi Shmouel join me in wishing each of you a bright Chanukah
PS
Security: Even before today's tragic events, enhanced security measures had already been planned, and we are deeply grateful to our local, state and federal law enforcement, for their active role in safeguarding the community, especially at this difficult time.
Thanks: Allow me to thank and thank and thank the dozens of messages from so many - reaching out in the most beautiful, empathetic and loving way – offering help, assistance or anything that we may need during this time. You touched our hearts. We truly are one family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts
