Temple Israel of Alameda, the Alameda Unified School District’s Jewish Roundtable, and South Shore Mall management hosted their seventh annual Menorah Lighting Celebration on December 14 in the center courtyard of the South Shore Mall. The event featured a craft station for kids, Klezmer music from the Chelm All-Stars, and refreshments, including sufganiyot and bagels from Bagel St. Café.
Rabbi Cynthia Minster of Temple Israel led the event. “Now more than ever, sharing Jewish space with the wider community is deeply meaningful,” she stated in a press release preceding the evening. “Making space for difference makes Alameda a stronger and healthier community.”
Betty Riback, who is part of the temple’s leadership team, sat at the Temple Israel welcome table. Riback has been with the Temple for over 40 years and has attended every Menorah Lighting Celebration. She told the Alameda Post this year’s event felt like any other, except for the notable presence of news reporters.
“Channel 2 is here,” she pointed out. “Nobody’s interviewed us before, that I know of. But I appreciate the fact that we’re getting news coverage of this.”
When asked why she believes the event is receiving more coverage this year than years past, Riback said, “Personally I think it’s because of what happened to a menorah in Oakland. People feel really bad about that.” She was referring to an incident that occurred last Tuesday, when a large public menorah was vandalized and destroyed at Lake Merritt. The Mayor of Oakland is calling for a hate crime investigation.
Riback says her heart breaks every morning as she opens her paper to new and horrible updates about the war in Gaza. “I just hope that they find a solution soon,” she said, “because if they don’t I’m afraid it’s going to get much worse. It’s not just the Jewish people who are suffering. Everybody in the Middle East is suffering from this. My opinion is that Israel needs to reckon with this.”
After about an hour of snacking, mingling, and dancing to the Chelm All-Stars, Rabbi Minster gave her opening remarks in front of the South Shore Mall menorah. Then she called on Alameda Unified School District Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi.
“I think I can speak on behalf of the entire district just saying that we acknowledge that there is a lot in the world that is hard right now,” he said. “And I think some educators have taken the position that now is the time to offer personal opinions and perspectives. I have a slightly different view on that. Our job right now is to double down on our core mission, which is to make sure that our kids can learn in safe environments, learn critical thinking, and can learn collaboration.”
Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft was called up to the microphone next.
“I don’t have to tell you this has been a difficult time,” the Mayor said. “It’s even more important to come out and stand up for who we are, what we believe in, to hold each other close—our friends, our loved ones, our community. We sometimes don’t realize how much we need each other. This is not a time to retreat and be afraid to come out in public. This is Alameda, where we pride ourselves in the slogan we borrowed from the school district, ‘Everyone belongs here.’”
During her speech, the Mayor also noted that Alamed Police Lieutenant Erik Klaus was present and that “APD always has our back, 24/7.”
Rabbi Minster closed out the speeches.
“We have so much love for Alameda,” she said. “This community honors differences and supports citizens. This holiday celebrates the miracle of Jewish continuity. We also celebrate the opportunity to increase light in the world. The light within each of us is a holy spark. As we unite in community, we increase our light and have a more meaningful impact on the world.
“I understand that our wider community has different opinions on world affairs,” she continued. “I am so grateful that Alameda is a model of civil dialogue and focusing local time on local priorities. Thank you to my fellow spiritual leaders and to our civic leaders for helping to nurture our community as a place where all people are honored and supported.”
After Rabbi Minster’s closing remarks, Mayor Ashcraft plugged in the menorah and the bulbs lit up one by one. With the soft glow of the menorah in the background, the children were called up to sing Jewish songs. “How good it is, how sweet it is, to be together on this day,” they sang.
Kelsey Goeres is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelsey-Goeres.
