A Jewish community group in Virginia has slammed organizers of a local arts and music festival over its decision not to go ahead with a menorah lighting ceremony.
LoveLight Placemaking, a nonprofit organization that organizes the 2nd Sunday Arts and Music Festival in Williamsburg, rejected a community rabbi’s suggestion to hold a lighting ceremony at the upcoming Dec. 10 event.
It claimed in a statement that the move was “based on the organization’s objective and sincere desire to make this monthly event a place where everyone can come together to enjoy MUSIC and ART.”
However, in their own statement, the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula (UJC) said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the decision, and accused LoveLight of “not wanting[ing] appear to be choosing sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict.”
“We must be very clear: it is antisemitic to hold Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s policies and actions, and requires a political litmus test for Jewish participation in community events that have nothing to do with Israel.”
LoveLight Placemaking is a non-profit organization that hosts the 2nd Sunday Arts and Music Festival in Williamsburg. The group rejected a community rabbi’s suggestion to hold a lighting ceremony at the upcoming Dec. 10 event. Art & Music Festival 2nd Sunday
LoveLight flatly rejected the group’s characterization of their motives, saying it had “never held a religious program” in the festival’s 14 years of operation.
“It feels very wrong to label anyone associated with this as antisemitic when the rejection of this religious program is entirely consistent with our decision to keep our gatherings focused on the arts, rather than religious ceremonies.”
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LoveLight also expressed logistical concerns in allowing the lighting of the menorah to take place, claiming that Rabbi Mendy Heber had also asked to include a fire truck geld drop, where chocolate coins are dropped from a height, in the festival area which “needs to be open at all times to enter & exit traffic .”
The UJC claimed that LoveLight “horribly” offered to reinstate the lighting ceremony on the condition that it be performed “under a banner calling for a ceasefire,” a charge that LoveLight did not address in its statement.
The United Jewish Community of Virginia Peninsula (UJC) said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the decision. Getty Images/iStockphoto
A message sent to 2nd Sunday through a web form seeking confirmation of the UJC’s claims was not immediately returned.
“Since October 7, we have repeatedly seen cases of Jewish people and institutions – including Jewish synagogues, homes and businesses – being targeted, sometimes violently, by those who oppose Israel or its actions,” the UJC wrote.
“At a time of well-documented and rising antisemitism, the isolation and targeting of Jews is dangerous and harmful, further excluding and alienating our communities.”
In its statement’s conclusion, the group called on LoveLight to “engage in dialogue, educate themselves about the dangers of their decisions, and reinstate the apolitical Menorah ceremony at the event.”
Williamsburg is a small town of about 15,500 residents located about 50 miles southeast of Richmond.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
