On the third night of Hanukkah...

Florida residents and members of the congregation from Temple Beth Shalom celebrated the lighting of the menorah on Tuesday Dec. 16 - the third night of Hanukkah. Village Mayor Daniel Harter and trustees were in attendance, while visiting Rabbi Meir Borenstein from Chabad Goshen blessed the proceeding.

“For today’s society, Hanukkah reminds us that religious freedom, moral expression, and deeply held values are often eroded not only by direct threats, but by self-censorship born of fear,” Borenstein said. “Congregations may grow quiet, traditions may be softened, and beliefs may be hidden to avoid conflict or risk. The terrorist attack in Sydney on the first night of Hanukkah did not extinguish its light. The Maccabees teach us that preservation of faith requires visible practice. Belief that remains private and unexpressed is vulnerable; belief lived openly gains strength.”

The Hanukkah story offers a clear and enduring lesson: When fear is allowed to govern behavior, it can quietly succeed where oppression alone cannot. The tyrannical Seleucid Greek ruler, Antiochus IV Epihanes, did not merely outlaw Jewish practices, he sought to make fear so pervasive that people would abandon their faith on their own. The Maccabees’ response shows that the true turning point was not just reclaiming territory, but refusing to let fear dictate their lives.

When Judah Maccabee and his followers reclaimed the Temple, they acted despite real danger, limited resources, and uncertain outcomes. Their courage was not rooted in confidence that they would prevail, but in conviction that some things are worth defending regardless of risk. That choice — to act rather than retreat — transformed fear from a controlling force into something that could be confronted and diminished.

Hanukkah does not call for recklessness, but for resolve. Lighting the menorah is a public act, one that declares presence rather than retreat. In modern terms, it encourages individuals and communities to practice their faith with dignity and consistency, even when it is uncomfortable to do so. The lesson is not that fear disappears, but that it loses its power when people refuse to let it define their actions.

Ultimately, Hanukkah teaches that light grows when it is shared, not hidden. By standing firm in the face of fear — whether that fear comes from social pressure, misunderstanding, or hostility — individuals reaffirm that faith and values are not granted by permission of others. Like the Maccabees, choosing not to accede to fear becomes an act of renewal, allowing light to endure and expand, one deliberate act at a time.

To learn more about Florida Rabbi Shinder and Temple Beth Shalom’s programs, log onto on https://tbsny.org/.