Pouring rain failed to dampen the spirts of a small group of families huddled on the Sherman Green gazebo to light a menorah on the third night of Hanukkah Sunday.
Neither did three masked men, who carrying Nazi flags and shouting obscenities, tried to disrupt the ceremony until they fled when police arrived.
“I’m glad I was there,” said Fairfield First Selectman Kenneth Flatto.
So was Rabbi Shlame Landa who staged the ceremony for Chabad of Fairfield.
“It’s important to see we don’t back down from spreading goodness and light,” said Landa.
The men, dressed in black, showed up just as the ceremony was beginning, stayed on the sidewalk about 20 yards from the gazebo. Each carried a flag held in outstretched arms. One flag bore a swastika, another an iron cross.
From his vantage point, Flatto said he could hear obscenities, but never felt threatened. He did, however, call police.
In the interim, a number of passers-by not involved in the ceremony started yelling at the masked men. Some waved at the menorah lighters. A few joined in the ceremony. When police showed up, the men left in a car headed west on the Post Road with police trailing behind them. It is unclear if the men were stopped by police.
Flatto said he came to the ceremony to show his support. He said it was important to acknowledge and celebrate as many religions and ethnicities as possible.
“These people came to try and mar a ceremony,” he said of the masked men. “They did not succeed. Everyone there pretty much ignored that and focused on what is good about the holiday … a celebration of the festival of lights.”
Landa said it wasn’t a stretch to feel a little by like the Maccabees — on whom the story of Hanukkah is based. After battling religious persecution in 60 B.C.E., a small band of Jews lit a nine branched candelabra called a menorah to help resanctify their temple. The menorah is lit each night during the eight-day festival.
“We continue that battle,” said Landa. “The way we chose to battle darkness is to add a little bit more light. By doing a little bit more goodness is how we fight people who hate. That is what we tried to do tonight.”
Landa has been planning the menorah lighting for weeks and secured a permit from the town Park and Recreation Department. He had hoped to have many more than the 20 or so who braved a freezing rain.
He said he wasn’t really focused on what was occurring on the sidewalk, but did notice the numbers in the gazebo seemed to swell a bit toward the end of the short ceremony, which included the lighting of a 9-foot portable menorah, followed by songs and refreshments.
“I told my wife, Miriam, on the way home, if (the masked men) came out in the rain, how much more does it say that we have to be there,” he added. “We really had to be there tonight. If not, they would have won half the battle.”
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OMG the nazi are going to take over…not.
“That is really scary! We dont live in nazi germany, what is going on here in America?
Is it even allowed to display a Nazi flag?”
yes it is legal, freedom of speech hoorah. Everyone needs to relax a little bit, these are just people expressing their opinion. No one was hurt, and they can say what they want to.
the proper responce would have ben to open up a can of chanukah wooop a…..on thes animals
chevreh go out buy gunes study martial arts this is a massive
chilul hashem that thes animals knew thay could come out like tha and nothing would happen
you guys are great keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are not victims. We are not cowards. We must stand up for ourselves as the Mackabees did thousands of years ago, and triumph over any evil that seeks to instill fear into our hearts.
is there anyway 2 get the ppl in the coummunity 2 get the police 2 stop this?
I think it is sick and the police should of shoot them right away
but any ways it was a very big kidush hashem thank you (a fan of the landas)
may they did not GO to the press..maybe the press was THERE covering the event so before you jump get your facts.
Why do we need to hire security guards? Why cant we protect ourselves and our families?
I hate reading stuff like “were gonna use this anti Semitic attack to increase light etc.” there is only one way to respond to 3 pieces of $#@ showing up at a Jewish ceremony and holding up flags that say “I am happy that six million of your relatives and grandparents were murdered” “I support the systematic and Brutal murder of 1.5 million children” the response is giving them a lesson in Jewish pride with a Chanukah beat down. It’s great to say afterwords “we will not be intimidated and only increase out work” but while they were standing there… Read more »
is it just me? It seems as if public meorah lightings in mnay places are being distrupted and vandalized this year , more than ever!
what is going on?
There are very evil people around. I feel for you to kow they reside in your midst. yes, you HAD to be there.
Show your faces you good for nothings
We need to hire security guards, even armed ones to protect us; we were lucky this time, as no one got hurt; there are too many weapons out there for the wrong person to grab; so, let us protect ourselves and face reality!
That is really scary! We dont live in nazi germany, what is going on here in America?
Is it even allowed to display a Nazi flag?
It should be in the constitutiuon if its not. And what if they weren’t just shouting things but actually approached the crowd and got violent?
Its a terrible thing and shouldn’t be tolerated. The police should have got them
Where, Nowhere. Shame on them.
don’t forget security always!
“a small band of Jews lit a nine branched candelabra called a menorah to help resanctify their temple.”
The menorah in the bais hamikdosh didn’t have nine branches; it had seven. I hope this didn’t get published anywhere else like that.
BH
All publicity is good publicity! With the help of Hashem and the Rebbe’s Kochos!
Geulah Now!
From your fan club on the Left Coast!