The menorah stood out amid a sea of flowers as a gentle reminder that light can dispel darkness, and that goodness still exists.
It was a message that Rabbi Levi Wolff, chief minister and spiritual head of Sydney’s Central Synagogue and a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary, hoped to pass along Tuesday morning when he and his wife, Chanie, visited Martin Place, site of the recent terror attack in a local cafe. The area was filled with Australians paying their respects.
“Many of my congregants and [community] members work and own businesses within the area where tragedy struck, and wife and I felt strongly that there needed to be a visual Jewish representation there today while the country was still mourning, and the eyes of the country and the world are on that very spot,” said Wolff.
Given that Chanukah, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, was just a few hours away, Wolff said that bringing a menorah—his wife brought flowers as well—was appropriate.
A plaque affixed to the menorah reads: “The Jewish Community of Australia expresses our deepest sympathy for the families of the Martin Place tragedy. May the light of the festival of Chanukah bring comfort and warmth to our nation.”
“Australia has experienced an element of darkness that it has never experienced on this soil before,” stated Wolff, “and we need more light than anything at this time. That’s a message everyone can take with them. Spreading the message of light to their family and friends, to their colleagues and their community would brighten a country that needs light, comfort and warmth at a time like this.”
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