Virginia festival cancels Menorah lighting due to Israel-Hamas war

A scheduled Hanukkah celebration set to take place during the upcoming Second Sundays Art and Music Festival in Williamsburg Virginia on December 10 has been canceled, sparking controversy and accusations of discrimination.

According to the Virginia Gazette, the event, which was meant to feature a menorah lighting led by a local community rabbi, was abruptly called off by LoveLight Placemaking, the festival’s organizer. Their reason for the cancellation was unexpected, as they cited concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict. LoveLight Placemaking claimed that hosting a Chanukah celebration would imply support for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

According to the Virginia Gazette, 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 added that all religious services that were expected to take place have also been canceled. 

However, the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula, which was responsible for organizing the Hanukkah event, vehemently denied any political affiliation. In a statement, they clarified that the menorah lighting had no connection to Israel or the conflict and was intended purely as a cultural and religious celebration.

“We are deeply disappointed by LoveLight Placemaking’s decision to cancel the menorah lighting,” United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula said in a statement. “The Hanukkah celebration was a symbol of our cultural heritage and had no political agenda.”

According to the Virginia Gazette, the situation took a more troubling turn when LoveLight Placemaking offered to reinstate the event if it was conducted under a banner calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. This offer was met with outrage from the local Jewish community.

Critics argued that holding Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s policies and actions is a form of antisemitism. They also contended that imposing a political litmus test for Jews’ participation in community events unrelated to Israel is unjust and discriminatory.

The Second Sundays Art and Music Festival has traditionally been a unifying event, emphasizing messages of unity, love, and light. The exclusion of the Jewish community from this festival, which prides itself on inclusivity, has raised questions about the festival’s commitment to these values.

The Jewish community’s full response

“The Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula is shocked and alarmed at LoveLight Placemaking’s decision to cancel a menorah lighting scheduled for the Second Sundays Art and Music Festival on Dec 10 in Williamsburg – claiming it did not want to appear to choose sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict. To be clear, the menorah lighting, which was to be led by a local community rabbi, had nothing to do with Israel or the conflict. 

“Yet, appallingly, the event organizer claimed that a Chanukah celebration would send a message that the festival was ‘supporting the killing/bombing of thousands of men, women, and children,’ — and even went a step further, by offering to reinstate the event if it was done under a banner calling for a ceasefire. 

“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. Those standards would never be applied to another community. 

“Since October 7th, we have repeatedly seen cases of Jewish people and institutions – including synagogues, Jewish homes and businesses – being targeted, sometimes violently, by those opposed to Israel or its actions. At a time of well-documented, rising antisemitism, the singling out and targeting of Jews is dangerous and harmful, serving to further exclude and alienate our community. 

“The Second Sundays Art & Music Festival has been a meaningful and important community event that brings people together under a powerful message of unity, love and light. Excluding Jewish participation from a festival that should welcome everyone undermines its very message. We call on LoveLight Placemaking to reconsider our request to engage in dialogue, educate themselves on the harmfulness of their decision, and reinstate the apolitical Menorah ceremony at the event,” the statement read.