Almost 300 Students from Holon demonstrated Sunday outside of the Prime Minister’s Office and lit a Chanukah menorah for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Chanukah beings Sunday night, and students in the Bnei Akiva movement around the world will also think of Shalit as they light Chanukah candles.
The students who demonstrated today came from the “Katzir” high school. They called on the government to do more to free Shalit, who has been in Hamas captivity for over 900 days. The students also lit a menorah, the lamp containing eight candles used on the Chanukah holiday.
School principal Malkah Cheiruti, who lit the candles, said, “Today we light the first candle of Chanukah, a holiday which symbolizes the triumph of light over the darkness.” Cheiruti added her hope that “our light should illuminate Gilad’s path home and hopefully we will soon see the miracle of his release.”
The worldwide Bnei Akiva youth movement has also decided to light Chanukah candles for Gilad Shalit. On Sunday night, the first night of Hanukah, every Bnei Akiva chapter will light an additional menorah as a prayer for his freedom.
Tzvika Klein, Bnei Akiva spokesperson, explained the Chanukah initiative. “In the last few years, our youth have learned intensively about the Jewish captives, and in the past week they focused on the story of Shalit,” he said. “Now the youth have decided to take action to affect Israel and the entire world."