Reclaiming the light this Chanukah

As Kislev comes to its close and we prepare once again to kindle the chanukiah, I am drawn back to the central instruction of this festival. Chanukah is not only about remembering a miracle, it is about publicising it. The mitzvah of pirsumei nisa calls us to make the miracle visible, to place light where it can be seen, and to resist the instinct to retreat into the shadows. When others try to dim Jewish light, our tradition asks us to increase it.

This year, that teaching feels especially urgent.

The furore in Melbourne over Stonnington Council’s refusal to place a chanukiah alongside the Christmas tree has unsettled many across our community. For some, it is confusing. For others, it is familiar in a wearying way. For many, it raises deeper questions about belonging, dignity and who is welcome in the public square.

For me, the disappointment is personal. Malvern Town Hall is where Shtiebel gathers for the High Holy Days. It is where thousands of heartfelt prayers have been offered. It is where we bless our children, welcome the new year, reflect on the past, and imagine a better future. It is a civic building that has quietly become a sacred space because our community has filled it with meaning.

To picture that same building participating in a civic holiday display that excludes a Jewish symbol is painful. This is not a debate about decorations. It is about presence. It is about whether Jewish identity is considered part of the cultural fabric of Melbourne or treated as something that complicates an otherwise tidy narrative of inclusion.