While Jews in Israel were awaiting Sunday evening to mark the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle, the Jewish community in Auckland, New Zealand, was already celebrating the holiday.
At 8:15 a.m. Israel time, Strauss-Amiel Institute emissaries Rabbi Netanel Kaszovitz and his wife Avital lit the first Hanukkah candles at the Jewish community complex in the city.
The event took place at 7:15 p.m. local New Zealand time, together with local Bnei Akiva emissaries Ariel and Roni Cohen, and was attended by hundreds of community members alongside Israelis living in the city. Participants enjoyed children’s activities, holiday songs, and a shared festive meal.
Rabbi Kazsovitz, who began his mission in Auckland a few months ago, said: “The Jews in Auckland are mostly local, and among them are descendants of immigrants who arrived in New Zealand during the period of colonization, immigrants from South Africa who came here over the past 30 years, and Israelis who moved to the country.”
Explaining his decision to take on a mission in New Zealand, he said: “After five years of emissary work in Kenya, we very much wanted to continue a life of mission on the one hand, while also providing our children with a Jewish education on the other. We were looking for a community where there was a real need and where we could contribute-a distant community that not everyone chooses for emissary work. That’s how we arrived at our new community in Auckland, where we found special people with big hearts.”
Rabbi Kaszovitz also addressed the sense of security among New Zealand’s Jews: “We are indeed witnessing a rise in antisemitism in New Zealand, similar to what is happening around the world, but it is felt mainly at universities and on campuses, and less so within the community. We take precautions, such as deciding to hold events only within the community complex; otherwise, it leads to pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations. But there is no fear of walking around with Jewish symbols. Just two weeks ago, at a bar mitzvah held in the community, the bar mitzvah boy’s mother gave him a Star of David necklace as a gift and asked him to wear it proudly, without embarrassment or fear, because we are a proud people.”
Toward the conclusion of the candle lighting, the rabbi delivered words of encouragement, saying: “We merit being the first to light the light-the light of Hanukkah-and to bring it into the world. Precisely in challenging times, perhaps more than ever, it is important that we stand upright and proud, light the menorahs, and say to the world: Am Yisrael Chai.”
He added further words of Torah for inspiration: “A well-known halachic ruling says that the Hanukkah menorah should be lit facing outward so that the light can be seen. But in times of danger, it is lit indoors. This is commonly understood in a literal sense: when it is frightening outside, we light inside the house. But the ‘Mei HaShiloach’ of Izbica adds a special depth, explaining that in times of difficulty, we light inside the home in order to strengthen ourselves, our family, and our community, so that we gain strength and are not afraid. Now, we are lighting the light within the community so that we can be strengthened together. From there, each person will go home and light outward-to illuminate for all Jews who are afraid to show their Judaism, to strengthen them and to say to them, and to the entire world: Am Yisrael Chai.”