About 100 people gathered at Mirror Pond in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah, a holiday rooted in a struggle for religious freedom that occurred more than 2,000 years ago. The annual Grand Menorah Lighting was sponsored by the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and included the lighting of a 25-foot-tall menorah, a balloon drop, children’s activities and jelly doughnuts, a traditional Hanukkah treat. The event proceeded with extra security after a shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia on Sunday killed at least 15 people and hospitalized 38, according to the New York Times. “Moments like this shake us. They remind us that being Jewish has never been simple but they also remind us why Hanukkah exists,” according to a statement issued before the ceremony by Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Perlstein, director of Salem’s Chabad Center. Hanukkah commemorates the reclaiming and rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 164 BCE. King Antiochus IV had outlawed Jewish religious practices and desecrated the temple. After the victory over the king, the temple was cleaned. According to Jewish tradition, only a small amount of pure olive oil remained to relight the Temple’s menorah – enough for one day. The oil is said to have lasted for eight days, long enough to prepare more. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights with the lighting of a nine-branched menorah, adding one candle each evening. In homes and gathering places throughout Salem, families also observe the holiday with songs, traditional foods cooked in oil, and time spent together. For local Jewish residents, Hanukkah is both a historical remembrance and a living tradition – one that connects ancient history to modern life, and emphasizes resilience, identity, and the enduring power of light within every person to endure during the darkest time of the year. “We will continue to bring light, warmth and Jewish pride into the world,” Perlstein said in his statement. “We will not stop and we will not surrender.” Children rush forward to claim balloons filled with prizes at the annual Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Rosa Perlstein poses by a dreidel at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Jonah Novikov, the Salem Fire Department’s first Jewish firefighter, stands beside a ladder truck during the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Alec and Tamara Shingarev give their son Giorgi a kiss at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Children make crafts at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) The crowd gathers to hear Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Perlstein speak about the meaning of Hannukah at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark speaks at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Salem Mayor Julie Hoy speaks at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack and City Councilor Deanna Gwyn listen to speakers at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) City Councilor Mai Vang reads a proclamation from Gov. Tina Kotek at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) City Councilor Deanna Gwyn lights candles in the crowd before the blessing prayer at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack lights the shamash candle at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Firefighter Jonah Novikov lights the first candle at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Balloons filled with prizes drop from the ladder truck platform at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Adults with toothpicks help children pop balloons to discover the prizes inside at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Johana Magnuson enjoys a jelly donut at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Ariyah Alpernas gets a bite of a jelly donut at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Attendees gather around the lit menorah at Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Salem City Councilor Linda Nishioka, Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack, and Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Perlstein take a moment at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) David Bianco enjoys his free rock art that was given out at the Grand Menorah Lighting at Mirror Park in downtown Salem on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) STORY IDEA OR NEWS TIP? Email [email protected] A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post PHOTOS: In shadow of Australia attack, Salem joins in Hanukkah event appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less