With Gratitude for Reading's Community Menorah Lighting

Dear Friends,

For the third year in a row, the Reading Community Menorah Lighting was held at the Town’s Menorah on Reading Common and in the First Congregational Church of Reading. We are eternally grateful to the town for welcoming and supporting this educational and celebratory event. It made us as Jewish Americans, feel seen, safe and included as valued members of our community.

Many thanks to the hundreds of people who have shown up for these celebrations and to the many people, organizations, and volunteers who have made them possible. The list is too large to enumerate by name, but we hope that each of you knows the impact you have had on our hearts and on our community.

Many thanks especially go to Reading’s Department of Public Works for their care, set up and monitoring of the Town’s Menorah; to the Reading Cultural Council a partner of the MA Cultural Council for your financial grant and support, and to our Town Manager and Assistant Town Manager, Matt Kraunelis and Jayne Wellman, for their full-hearted support and for showing up despite how busy they were. Additional thanks go to RMLD for bringing light with their enthusiastic donation of flashlights to enable viewing the StoryWalkⓇ in the dark; to Whitelam Books for donating the books for the first-time ever StoryWalkⓇ and to the team who spent hours creating it.

So many thanks go to Reading’s Civil Rights Officer Lt. Pat Silva and his officers who showed up on a Sunday to keep us safe, give us peace of mind, and who throughout Chanukah supported the families who came out to light the candles each night. Your attention and support are appreciated beyond words!

A huge thank you goes to Rabbi Greg Hersch, the Rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Wakefield, for his time, advice, and leadership in planning and as officiant of this special event. Much love and gratitude goes to Reverend Emelia Attridge of the First Congregational Church of Reading, and their devoted parishioners for being part of the planning team and for all of their whole-hearted support. From cooking the delicious latkes and Fairtrade hot chocolate to planning and leading the Chanukah craft, to the use of their Community Hall for our follow up celebration - their light brightened every aspect of this Menorah Lighting!

So many thanks again this year go to Anne Schwartz for leading the joyful Israeli Dancing and to each of our partners who stepped up to publicly show their support of this important event, including Albert Pless and the Office For Equity and Social Justice, Whitelam Books, The Reading Rotary, The Coalition of Us (Cato); Laura Wilson and the Reading Residents for Inclusion, and the Reading Clergy Association. Many thanks to daily and online media for publicizing and educating readers about the event, and to RCTV for their accessible coverage which enables everyone to participate, regardless of their availability on that day and regardless of their special needs. rctv youtube menorah lighting

We could not have done this event without the donations of gift cards from Stop and Shop and Market Basket’s and Reading Cooperative Bank’s donation of water. And the reason we had delicious freshly baked sufganiyot/ donuts was because Honey Dew Donuts at the 129 Rotary donated them!

This event has lifted our spirits at a time of hardship. It has made us feel welcome and included amongst all of the other holiday celebrations and despite the growing antisemitism in the world around us. Each and every one of the people who attended and the others who reached out, donated, and showed their support made and continues to make a difference in our lives. Thank you to each and every one of you!

With Appreciation, Linda Snow Dockser, Anne Schwartz, Reverend Emelia Attridge, Michele Clopper, Janice Grant Menes, Sandy Matathias, and Merel Abruzzese (the Reading Menorah Lighting Planning Team)