On Wednesday night at Union Square in San Francisco, many from the Jewish community gathered to celebrate the final night of Hanukkah.

As the last candle was lit, the message of this holiday to overcome darkness with light had a special significance.

The Aisenberg family is not at the grand menorah lighting to just celebrate Hanukkah.

“This little boy and his baby brother were taken on October 7th 2023,” said Jackie Aisenberg.

The events of October 7th have left Jackie Aisenberg with a heavy heart. A pediatrician and a mother, she has fought to keep these children’s names in the spotlight, praying for their safe return.

“This is part of our luggage, everyday luggage,” said Jackie Aisenberg. “We need to be strong, we need to be proud and we need to speak out for them.”

Children have a special place in Jackie’s heart but she has also been impacted by the deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans. The hope for 2025 is for peace and safety for everyone.

“As part of humanity, I don’t think this is pertaining in particular to necessarily to any ethnicity, or to any religion or to any people,” she said. “This is a matter of human values.”

“We never lose the hope, lost the hope or will lose the hope for a better world,” her husband Sergio Aisenberg added.

So as Hanukkah comes to an end, the Aisenberg family wants the message of standing strong and of light to resonate with people of all religions and beliefs.

“We need to stand together,” she said. “We’re Jewish people but it’s not just the Jewish people. It’s everybody who believes in humanity in open societies where we are free to stand for our values.”