An immense crowd of people behind a giant Menorah
Spirituality

Nanaimo celebrates first night of ​​Chanukah

Editor’s note: According to the Jewish Independent, Canada is home to the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, (after Israel, the United States, and France). They do not all adhere to Judaism. 52,000 of the 282,015 of the ‘Jewish’ respondents to the 2021 census also stated they follow another religion. The article did not state the numbers of Jews who were agnostic or atheists, only that ‘more than 40% of Canadian Jews have attended Jewish day schools. ‘

Some religious statistics: 100 Campbell River residents stated their ethnic origin was Jewish in the 2021 census, and 50 people stated their religion was ‘Jewish.’ Christians are now officially a minority. Only 33.2% of the city’s population stated they were ‘Christians,’ which does not necessarily mean they attend church services. 63.7% of the the city’s respondents stated they have ‘no religion’ and ‘secular perspectives.’ The 2021 census listed 35 people of Jewish ethnicity on Cortes Island, but only 15 following Judaism. Of the remaining population: roughly 70% had no religion, 19% were Christians and 9% follow other faiths. The only place where the majority of Jews appear to follow their ancestral faith was Area C, where there were 25 Jews and 25 people following Judaism. Roughly 78% of the population stated their beliefs were secular, 20% were Christians and a little more than 2% followed other faiths.

By Mick Sweetman,  CHLY 101.7 FM Nanaimo, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

Nanaimo’s Jewish community marked the first night of ​​Chanukah with the lighting of a giant Menorah at Maffeo Sutton Park.

Organized by Chabad of Nanaimo the event attracted hundreds of people to mark the start of the holiday celebrating the triumph of light over darkness.

Rabbi Bentzi Shemtov says that the public celebration of ​​Chanukah is important for the community.

“The holiday is all about light, freedom,” he said. “That’s what we celebrate on this holiday, the holiday of freedom over light over darkness, and to be able to come out into the streets in the open and light those candles the first night knowing that tomorrow night’s going to be two nights, two candles. It’s really good.”

The Chabad of Nanaimo and Central Vancouver Island will hold another Menorah lighting at Courtenay City Hall on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 3:30 p.m.

Image credit: Hundreds of people from Nanaimo’s Jewish community marked the first night of ​​Chanukah with the lighting of a giant Menorah at Maffeo Sutton Park on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. Photo: Mick Sweetman / CHLY 101.7FM.