Here yet again we see it: the real pandemic of our age is cowardice.
“Hanukkah celebration at Williamsburg festival canceled due to Israel-Hamas conflict,” by Eliza Noe, Daily Press, December 4, 2023:
A Hanukkah celebration in Williamsburg has been canceled after concerns about the Israel-Hamas war.
A menorah lighting was scheduled for the 2nd Sundays Art and Music Festival on Dec. 10. Each month from March to December, the community event hosts artisans, street performers and food vendors, and Jewish leaders were told that the board was not comfortable allowing the lighting at the festival.
Shirley Vermillion, the festival’s founder, said 2nd Sundays are inclusive to different religions or cultures, and the menorah lighting “seemed very inappropriate” given current events in Israel and Gaza. She said the board would prefer to steer clear of religious affiliations. In the past, she said, Christian and other religious groups ask to perform at 2nd Sundays, and all of those requests were denied.
“The concern is of folks feeling like we are siding with a group over the other … not a direction we ever decide to head,” Vermillion said….
Dec. 7 marks the first night of Hanukkah. According to a statement from the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula, the lighting was going to be held by a local rabbi and had nothing to do with the Israel-Hamas war. The statement says Jewish leaders were told the event would appear to choose sides in the conflict, and organizers would reschedule the celebration if it were held under a “ceasefire” banner.
“We should be very clear: it is antisemitic to hold Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s policies and actions, and to require a political litmus test for Jews’ participation in community events that have nothing to do with Israel,” the statement reads, in part. “Those standards would never be applied to another community.”…
Ray Jarman says
Where is Governor Glenn Youngkin? He should be there to force Shirley Vermillion to do the moral thing which is to honor the Jewish community. These people always say that their objection to Israel or Zionism is not anti-Semitic but this proves otherwise.
commonsense says
+1
WPM says
Appeasing terrorist only brings the terrorist bullying terrorist to your doorstep asking for more. Have the event as plan the good governor can threaten to yank all state funding if they do not have the event.
gravenimage says
+1
Troybeam says
+2
Spiro says
Once again cowardly lack of commitment to the faiths that made this country successful
Sean says
Don’t draw Mo, or we’ll act out.
Don’t have a public expression of a non-Islamic holiday, or we’ll act out.
Has there ever been a more insecure and hyper-sensitive lot (outside of rainbow-haired Gen-Z) in all of human history?
Grow a spine, Virginia. Stop paying the infidel tax.
gravenimage says
Virginia: Hanukkah celebration in Williamsburg canceled, ‘seemed very inappropriate’ because of Hamas-Israel war
…………………………………………..
*Just sickening*–and this is worse than cowardice, because it implies that Jews celebrating a holiday is “inappropriate” because some Jews in Israel are defending themselves against genocide.
This makes the craven actions of my own governor, Newsom, seem almost defensible. His being involved with a Menora lighting ceremony–even one done virtually, and not on site–was too much for pious Muslims and their vicious supporters:
“Pro-Palestine supporters unhappy with Newsom after making Capitol tree lighting event virtual”
https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-pro-palestine-newsom-tree-lighting-virtual/46048554
Surprisingly, San Francisco bravely did it the old fashioned way in Union Square:
“San Francisco menorah lighting event proceeds amid tensions related to the Israel-Hamas War”
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-menorah-lighting-tensions-israel-hamas-war/3392097/
This is the oldest Menora lighting ceremony outside of Israel. Not a lot a San Franciscan can be prooud of these days, but this is one of them.
Scotsman48 says
If this War is still going during the next ramadamadingdong time then it should be cancelled due to the War going on..
Theres a headline for CNN… No charge..
OLD GUY says
When you give in to a bully’s they only demand more and more. Bending over for islam means you will get your ass kicked.