Rabbi Yudi Steiger from Chabad Lubavitch of Park City says the parade departing from City Park is important to show joy and defiance.
The celebration comes on the heels of violent attacks targeting Jews on some of the holiest and most joyous days in their calendar. Steiger cited the recent attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, as well as the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
“The support that we can give them from Park City is to show that we're not going to cower,” Steiger said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Dec. 19. “We're going to go out there with our menorahs on the right on Main Street here in Park City, and show everyone that we are proud Jews.”
The Bondi Beach attack coincided with the first night of Hanukkah, which he said celebrates the victory of Jewish rebels who reclaimed the temple in Jerusalem from a Greek-Syrian regime in the 2nd century BCE.
Steiger said, when the Jews reentered the temple, they found only enough oil to light the menorah there for one day, but it miraculously burned for eight days.
The Park City community lit its own menorah on Main Street Dec. 16.
Steiger said he wants to show that Park City’s light will also endure.
“They want us to hide. They want us to crawl in a closet,” he said. “That happened thousands of years ago, they want us to hide our Judaism. And today, more than ever, we see that.”
Saturday’s parade starts at Miners Hospital in City Park at 7 p.m. and travels to the top of Main Street.
There will be rolling street closures to make way for the procession of people and cars. All are invited
