Are people afraid to go to menorah lighting, wear dreidel shirts, and participate in celebrations, or are people going big this year in defiance?

To try and get different people's perspectives on the matter and how people might be feeling, I decided to interview a few different people of different ages to see how one's age might alter their response and opinion on the matter

Mark Fickes, age 57

"At my house, holiday celebrations will change only a little now that my kids are in college. We are living in challenging times, but for me, Chanukah is about embracing the light in dark times and fighting against those who would oppress us. That means that my celebrations will not change because I won't give in to anti-semitism and because we need to celebrate together as a community. I can't say I am going big this year, but I will never conceal my identity as a proud Jew." 

Miri Ilfeld, age 15

"I don’t exactly know how to answer this question. I think for me, at least, I don’t go to temple for Chanukah, but I feel like if I did, I’d just feel more weary when at temple and more concerned. Really just more alert knowing that there’s more antisemitism in the world. I’d also say that holiday celebrations will look different because I feel like half of our conversations, especially with the adults around us who like to talk about what’s going on in the news, saying, “Have you heard this new story” and I feel like that affects me. I think it’s important to talk about it but I feel like every single holiday celebration I’m at related to Judaism now the war, new reports of antisemitism, and new statistics come up, and I feel like it’s suffocating when it’s all you hear left and right."

There isn’t one right response. It’s a stressful time, and people react differently and have different levels of comfort dealing with the likely questions to arise, Miri for example, said she feels like she’s tired of it being the only topic of conversation at Jewish gatherings and how it’s “suffocating”. Mark took a different approach to the question saying, “Chanukah is about embracing the light in dark times and fighting against those who would oppress us” and “I will never conceal my identity as a proud Jew. “ 

Me, though, I think that we, as Jews, have gone through so much oppression over the years and overcome it only to come out stronger. I think that this year, in the spirit of the holidays, as one might say, we should continue to uphold that cycle and wear our Jewish identities with the pride that they possess. 

The other day, I was at the dentist, and I noticed the receptionist was wearing her Star of David necklace. When I looked at her, she said, “I figured it was about time I put it back on.” I am a proud Jew, and that is something that no one can take away from me.