Celebrating the season of light and the season of resistance. 

Each year on Hanukkah, Jewish-Americans place Hanukkah menorahs in their windows — not only to celebrate a miracle of ancient oil, but to make a public declaration: we refuse to hide who we are, and we will not accept the abuse of power as normal.

At its core, Hanukkah is a story about government overreach — how a powerful state sought to control belief, erase identity, and crush a minority community through intimidation and violence. The Maccabees resisted, and in doing so, lit a flame that still burns.

That story has always been close to my heart. My grandparents came from Eastern Europe and Russia. They were citizens of their countries. They lived legally. They paid taxes. And yet the governments meant to protect them instead enabled antisemitic hatred — sometimes quietly, sometimes openly, sometimes violently. Pogroms were not random acts; they were tolerated, encouraged, and exploited by those in power. Every Hanukkah, as I light candles in a free America, I carry their memory with me.

This year, that ancient warning feels especially close to home.

Recently, I met Fernando Vazquez, an 18-year-old American citizen, born and raised in Cary, whose parents emigrated from Mexico. Despite repeatedly telling authorities that he was a citizen, Fernando was taken into ICE custody, detained, and treated harshly. In a video of his final moments with ICE that went viral, one sees an officer throw Fernando’s documents onto the ground. By the time I sat with him, the legal facts were clear — but the emotional damage was still raw.

When I asked Fernando what had hurt the most, his answer brought me to tears. While he was detained, all he could think about was his father, who was working at the same job site. His father is a legally documented worker — but Fernando feared he, too, would be taken and harassed. Later, his father said words I will never forget: “Fathers are supposed to protect their sons. In this case, my son was protecting me.”

For Jews, this is not abstract. We know what it means when the machinery of the state begins to treat people as categories instead of as sacred human beings. We know what happens when fear becomes policy and suspicion becomes procedure. Our tradition does not permit silence in such moments.

The Torah commands, “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor bleeds.” That command is not limited to Jews. It is not limited by citizenship, immigration status, or political party. It is a universal moral demand — especially when the source of harm is institutional power itself.

Hanukkah teaches that resistance does not always begin with armies. Sometimes it begins with a candle in a window — a small light that says: we see what is happening, and we refuse to normalize it.

This holiday season, when North Carolinians see Jewish homes lit with Hanukkah menorahs, I hope they understand what that light truly represents. It is not only a symbol of Jewish survival and pride. It is a declaration of shared civic courage. It says that legality is not always the same as justice. It says that when neighbors are harmed by the very systems meant to protect them, conscience must be louder than comfort.

The Maccabees resisted an empire. My grandparents survived state-sponsored hatred in Eastern Europe and Russia. Fernando faced the terrifying weight of a system that failed him. The lesson connecting all of them is the same:

Freedom survives only when ordinary people shine their light on injustice.

Rabbi Eric Solomon
Spiritual Co-Leader, Beth Meyer Synagogue (Raleigh) 

In recent months, we've gotten in the habit of rolling out new programs and initiatives, such as our Monthly Kibbitz and the Immigrant Rights Working Group. We are delighted to continue in that spirit by introducing this new recurring newsletter segment.

CJJ is a big community. Our footprint stretches from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville to the sandy beaches of Wilmington. Our multi-racial, multi-generational, inclusive, pluralistic collective is thousands strong. And we all have stories to tell.

From time to time, the Member Spotlight segment will focus in on one of our fellow CJJ members and their stories. In our inaugural Member Spotlight feature, we couldn't be happier to shine the light on CJJ Board Co-Chair, Rochelle Sparko. 

Hanukkah Message from Rabbi Sandra

Tonight, as we light Hanukkah candles, we remember the world needs more light.

This past Sunday, in Sydney, Australia, families gathered on Bondi Beach to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. They were met with gunfire. Sixteen are dead, nearly 40 wounded — terror aimed at joy itself.

In Providence, Rhode Island, students sat for final exams. Two will never go home. Nine others injured.

Across our cities, ICE hunts and terrorizes families — many here legally, many American citizens.

This is what hate does when given permission to breathe.

And still, we light.

We light because we understand something essential: that the act of kindling flame in the face of those who would extinguish us is, itself, holy resistance. That refusing to disappear is a form of prayer.

We light for those who cannot.
We light for those who are afraid to. 
We light because darkness only wins when we let it.

Chag Hanukkah Sameah.
May our flames refuse to go out.

WNC Social Justice Roundup by Ron Katz

Carolina Jews for Justice is a key contributor to a broad network of faith communities and nonprofit organizations working to address a variety of social justice issues across Western NC. Very few such efforts escape the attention of CJJ-West volunteer leader, Ron Katz, who publishes a regular newsletter for a dedicated following of over 1,000 subscribers. If you're looking for an easy way to stay on top on all things social justice in WNC, use the link below to subscribe.

Ron has also created the Listing of Ways to Take Action and Be Informed. The resource is updated daily, referenced in each edition of the e-newsletter and is accessible to everyone. 

CJJ-WEST 

• Dec 19 - CJJ-W Shabbat Potluck Gathering 

What better thing is there to do in difficult times than come together in community?! So, let's break bread, talk about how to stay sane, share ways to take action, and enjoy each other's company!  

• Jan 13 - Interfaith Resistance Event

We will brainstorm ways to direct our efforts as people of faith to support collective pressure that compels key institutions to defect from Trumpism. Everyone is welcome! Invite your fellow congregants, folks with a faith in humanity, or anyone interested in stepping into our power together and building impactful campaigns to stop this descent into authoritarianism. 

CJJ-TRIANGLE

• Dec 24 - Jewish Xmas in Durham

Join the Durham Community Safety Team for dumplings and a movie, and celebrate Christmas Eve according to Jewish tradition. For details and to RSVP, email: [email protected].  

• Jan 17 - Volunteer Day at Parktown Food Hub in Durham

Come help Parktown Food Hub prepare their garden for the spring growing season. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and other beverages will be on hand for hard-working volunteers taking part in garden bed repair/upkeep and painting. Lunch at Mediterranean Grill and Grocery afterward. For more details and to RSVP, email: [email protected]. 

CJJ-TRIAD

STATEWIDE    

• Jan 12 - CJJ Monthly Kibbitz 

Join us in the CJJ Kibbitz Room at noon on Monday, January 12, for our next monthly members call.  

As a community of progressive Jews in North Carolina, we participate in many local and statewide issue campaigns, advocacy efforts, and mutual aid and interfaith networks. This has always been our strength, going back to CJJ’s original calls to action and reason for formation — supporting the Moral Mondays movement more than a decade ago.

Times have changed, and the need to organize the progressive Jewish community in North Carolina is greater than ever. Today, our democratic way of life, our rights, and our freedoms are under assault in ways we didn’t think were possible when CJJ was formed. Worse, the Trump Administration and its allies are using antisemitism and Jewish safety as political cudgels to force increasingly authoritarian policies on the American people.

We must stand together to oppose the fascism growing in our midst. We must use our collective voice to say “not in our name.” That’s why we’re asking you to re-affirm your connection to CJJ and register to become a member today.

Please use the button below to complete your membership form — be sure to type “2025 CJJ Membership Campaign” in the last (optional) field.

Suggested annual dues are $18 (just $1.50/month), but please contribute what you can — whether it's $36, $180, $500, or more. Your membership sustains this movement and makes our shared vision possible.

Your support is the cornerstone of our work. 

It powers our commitment to justice across North Carolina. Your gift is more than a donation; it’s a declaration that justice, compassion, and liberation must guide our state’s future. 

Make your contribution today and stand with us in building that future.