‘Light will bring us together’: Organizers readying joyful town Hanukkah celebration

Acton’s annual Hanukkah celebration has roughly tripled in size since its start in 2019. 

Organizers will continue with the event this year as the community simultaneously grieves lives lost in this weekend’s deadly shooting at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia.

Town Tourism Manager Beth Williams told The Acton Bridge Monday morning that she spoke with police Chief Thomas Mulcahy and Kerem Shalom synagogue Rabbi Darby Leigh.

“We are full steam ahead,” Williams said, and the Acton event will have additional security.

“Light will bring us together,” she said. “Joy will bring us together.” 

This year, Hanukkah started at sundown on Sunday and runs until the sun sets on December 22.

Concordians will gather at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center for this year’s “Latkes & Laughter” event. Attendees will celebrate the Festival of Lights with songs and a menorah lighting. 

Leigh and Kerem Shalom President David Luberoff addressed the Australia tragedy — and Saturday’s shooting at Brown University — in a message to the Kerem Shalom community.

“Some of us may be fearful about these devastating incidents,” they said, but “we will not let these horrifying events diminish the light we strive to put out into the world.”

Leigh and Luberoff previewed the Wednesday gathering and other observances this week. They reiterated that “there will be a police presence at all of these events.”

Police Capt. Brian Goldman told The Bridge that there have been no credible threats, but the department is being extra vigilant “out of abundance of caution.”

Celebration and community

In an interview prior to this weekend’s attacks, Williams said that “Acton’s got plenty of not-so-great stuff in its recent history with antisemitism,” acknowledging a string of recent anti-Jewish incidents in town.

“If we can have a great celebration and have a lot of fun, and eat fried foods, then we should do that every chance we get,” she said. 

Alongside criticism and calls for better incident reporting, community groups have rallied to celebrate Jewish culture after hate incidents.

Organizers plan to distribute goody bags during this week’s jamboree. Debra’s Natural Gourmet will provide latkes. The town is hosting the event in collaboration with Kerem Shalom. 

Event origins 

Williams tackled Acton’s annual tree lighting as one of her first tasks in town. As a Jewish person, she thought, “That’s great, I can do that, but we’re missing something.” 

She helped launch the Hanukkah celebration at Rideout Park. After initially braving the cold, the event moved inside last year — a shift Williams called “a huge win.”

In 2019, the event had roughly 30 attendees, Williams said. In 2024, approximately 100 packed Harvey Wheeler. 

They haven’t made a decision, but officials are considering moving future events to one of a few larger spaces in Acton Center.

Locals also want to add a menorah in Monument Square as soon as 2026.

DEI Commissioner Brian Farber discussed Acton’s Hanukkah celebration during a recent meeting and said there’s “a strong feeling that it should be moved” to a more prominent site. 

Farber is also part of the community group Acton-Carlisle Against Antisemitism and said the group might use some of a recent $20,000 grant to help buy a menorah.

CCAA won the grant from the non-profit Combined Jewish Philanthropies and is planning a series of events and initiatives called the “Love Thy Neighbor” project.

Fellow CCAA leader Jodi Sperber told The Bridge that “there’s nothing really visible” in town that represents Jewish Concordians.

She said she’s heard about hate incidents as recently as in the past few weeks, and a more public recognition of a Jewish holiday could be part of a meaningful response.

“You can’t just fight antisemitism by saying all the things you don’t want,” she said. “Part of it is increasing visibility.” 

Before a new menorah might come to fruition, Sperber said CCAA plans to sponsor doughnuts and extra items for the Latkes & Laughter goody bags.

Williams said an outdoor menorah could reflect Acton’s efforts to be more inclusive. 

From Hanukkah to Christmas to Kwanzaa, town Visitor Center staff recently had some decorations in place in addition to lights and garlands on view around town.

As for the Hanukkah celebration, Williams said, “It’s a powerful community message.”