Family members of Israeli hostages held by Hamas will help kick off Hanukkah festivities in Detroit by lighting the giant 26-foot menorah downtown.
The Menorah in the D event is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7 at Cadillac Square, located at 662 Woodward Ave.
The event’s special guests this year are Yair Moses and Ella Ben Ami, whose parents were among the 250 or so Israelis captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack which also saw 859 civilians and 349 soldiers killed.
“They have a message for us,” Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, vice president and executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan, said in a statement. “They want us to join them in prayer and song to bring light into the world in the face of so much darkness and pray for a miraculous freedom for their loved ones.”
Yair Moses’s 78-year-old mother Margalit was freed after 50 days in captivity in Gaza, though his father Gadi’s whereabouts are unknown. Ella Ben Ami’s 57-year-old mother Raz was also released, while her father Ohad, also 57, remains captive.
The Oct. 7 attack sparked a retaliation by the Israeli Defense Forces that has killed more than 15,500 people, many women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. About 110 hostages were freed as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement that started on Nov. 24 in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Washington Post reported. Israel’s attacks resumed on Dec. 1.
In the Detroit area, home to many Arab Americans and Muslims, numerous rallies have been held demanding a ceasefire and end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, with one downtown Detroit rally drawing thousands. Polling from Data for Progress found a majority of U.S. voters support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Now in its 13th year, the Menorah in the D event will feature other community leaders and speakers, as well as musical performances and complimentary hot soup, cider, marshmallow roasting, and other treats.
“Our message is that the Jewish community stands with them as their brothers and sisters,” Shemtov added. “The story of Chanukah is about an impossible and miraculous victory and about a small light dispelling so much darkness. We need every member of our community to come out and show them our love, our support, our prayer, and resolve that the darkness doesn’t stand a chance.”
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