Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow joined Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby to light the candles for the first night of Hanukkah, kicking off a surprise star-studded celebration of the Jewish holiday where various celebrities will join Tishby to light the menorah for all eight nights of Hanukkah.

The upcoming special guests include a supermodel, a journalist, a comedian, and TV and movie stars, and while not all of the celebrities are Jewish, they are all committed to platforming Jewish joy during a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high.

Paltrow joined Tishby to light a menorah and share personal stories about their Jewish heritage, reflecting on the meaning of the Festival of Lights.

“We always light the menorah. We always gather together, and after we light the candles, it's very sweet, actually. We all hug and we bring in the light, and ever since they were little, so they'll sit on the floor and close their eyes, and then I'll give them their presents,” shared Paltrow.

Paltrow spoke about the traditions she grew up with celebrating Hanukkah on Long Island and how her family continues those customs, while Tishby shared her experiences celebrating Hanukkah growing up in Israel. Together they discussed their shared values and bonded over commonalities.

“We need to show the world that it’s cool to be Jewish as we celebrate the customs we’ve carried on for thousands of years. Hanukkah is the perfect holiday to bring on the light, literally. From lighting candles to eating fried foods to spinning dreidels, these eight nights are all about being together with family and friends, Jewish and non-Jewish, and laughing and singing and dancing.

It’s important that we carry on these traditions and retell the story of Hanukkah and Jewish resilience every year, and that includes publicly and proudly displaying your menorah whether that’s in your living room window or on social media,” said Tishby.

Every day through January 1st a new reel will be posted showcasing another celebrity. Jews and non-Jews alike are encouraged to participate by lighting their own Hanukkah menorah and sharing it on social media with the hashtag #BringOnTheLight.