Name: After recent attacks, Hanukkah tradition a light for Boulder Jewish community
Uploaded: 2025-12-16T08:40:58.051Z
Duration: 3 min 35 s
Description: A new menorah is standing tall on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, six months after it was the site of an unthinkable attack on Jewish demonstrators on June 1.

A new menorah is standing tall on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, six months after it was the site of an unthinkable attack on Jewish demonstrators on June 1.

Boulder

Boulder, Colorado's Jewish community held its annual menorah lighting ceremony on Pearl Street, just months after a deadly attack on demonstrators in the same area. The event, attended by hundreds, featured a new menorah built by Rabbi Yitzhak Mouli, who traveled from New Jersey to support the community and spread a message of resilience.

Organizers and attendees discussed the significance of maintaining traditions and public celebrations despite recent violence and ongoing security concerns. Community leaders emphasized the importance of solidarity, faith, and security measures developed after the attack, while highlighting Hanukkah's message of bringing light in dark times.

After recent attacks, Hanukkah tradition a light for Boulder Jewish community

Tonight, Boulder held its annual menorah lighting ceremony on Pearl Street. Of course, the Jewish community there are not far removed from tragedy on Pearl Street. In June, 82-year-old Karen Diamond was killed when a man threw a Molotov cocktail at a crowd demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Denver 7's Ryan Fish was at the lighting tonight. He spoke with several people, including a rabbi from New Jersey, who came here just for this. And they discussed how Boulder's Jewish community is honoring their faith and mourning these attacks. This new menorah standing tall on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, six months after an unthinkable attack here on Jewish demonstrators. When I heard what happened here in Boulder, the terrorist attack here in Boulder, I told myself we have to find a way to get this beautiful, powerful menorah here in Boulder to spread light. Rabbi Yitzhak Mouli is the artist who built it. He knows there's a lot of darkness in the world right now. I'm from Australia. And this attack in Sydney struck way too close to home. And my son was supposed to be in Yeshiva there. My son would have been on the beach there with everyone. And we're shell-shocked. We're frozen. But we know we have one mission, and that mission is to spread light. That's why Mouli came here from his home in New Jersey to be here for Boulder's menorah lighting. Joining hundreds of others celebrating the second night of Hanukkah. This is amazing. More powerful and beautiful people than I've ever seen at this event. A celebration with new meaning this year. We had to decide, could we still do this event here? Are we protected enough? Are we secure enough? We had another plan to move this somewhere. But it's not a good idea to count to hate. All the more reason to get out and light the candles with our community. It's important for everybody to come out and show solidarity and show that we're Jewish and we're proud and we're not afraid. We want to worship in peace the way anybody else does, the way everybody else in the world does. This year's been really important to me after everything we've been through as a Jewish community, as a Boulder community. Our traditions and our faith give us the tools to walk through these very difficult times and be a light leading to the future. And that's what Hanukkah's about to me. Everybody's really happy to be out. Nobody's scared or sad. And I think that's the best defense against what's gone on. Happy Hanukkah! In Boulder, Ryan Fish, Denver 7. Happy Hanukkah! Denver 7 anchor Jessica Porter spoke with the Jewish Community Relations Council to ask about security after the Australia attack. And leaders say despite everything, Hanukkah celebrations were well attended Sunday in Colorado. A lot of these attacks have been coordinated on Jewish holidays. Does that make you lean in even more to feel supported by your culture and your community? The Hanukkah holiday is ultimately about shining light in a dark world. The story that it connects to are Jews from thousands and thousands of years ago under threat, being forced to assimilate or be killed. And those Jews decided to continue practicing their Judaism. I wish this lesson wasn't so timeless. Brandon Ratner there says they have security protocols in place that were developed after the Boulder firebombing.

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