Rabbi Fishel's Blog

To my beloved Naples community and friends around the world,

We’re shaken and in pain after the horrific terror attack at Bondi Beach in Australia. The very moment the Jewish community was preparing to celebrate the first night of Chanukah with a public menorah lighting. Innocent lives were taken, including a colleague and a fellow Chabad rabbi, Rabbi Eli Schlanger hy”d, with whom I spent four days together right after October 7th when we went to Israel, along with others, and many more were injured.  My prayers are with his family, his loved ones, and all those whose lives are forever changed by this tragedy.

This was an attack on Jews, on faith, and on life itself. But we will not cower, we will not hide, we will not stop living proudly as Jews.

As we enter the holiday of Chanukah tonight, we’re reminded of its core message: a small amount of light dispels a great deal of darkness. We must continue to illuminate, to shine, to spread more light, the Torah, mitzvahs, and public expression of Jewish pride.

The world needs more light. The world needs more Jews willing to celebrate their faith and heritage fearlessly. The world needs our amazing non-Jewish friends to come out and stand with us at our Chanukah celebration as we light Menorahs, play Dreidel and eat Latkes.

We will continue to gather. We will continue to light menorahs in public. We will continue to stand strong, united, and unafraid. Our hearts are broken as we mourn our colleague and other victims of this brutal attack. We pray for the complete healing of the injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the entire Jewish community of Australia.

Now is the time to stand up, stand together, and be seen. We urge every member of our community to join us in person at our Grand Chanukah Festival today - showing that we will not be intimidated, that Jewish life will not be pushed aside, and that the light of Chanukah will shine openly and proudly for all to see.

May the light of Chanukah shine brighter than ever. 

Happy Hanukkah.

Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos 

 Being the Light

Dear Friends,

This Sunday night marks the beginning of Chanukah, and we are so excited to gather together with you at Cambier Park! Chanukah is famously known as the Festival of Lights. On a simple level, this is because we kindle the lights of the Menorah. But on a deeper plane, light holds a much greater significance. 

Light has a special quality. When we say “light,” we’re not just referring to the physical light that spreads through a room when you flip a switch. “Light” is so much more than that.

Depending on the particular usage, “light” can refer to an upbeat ambience, spiritual awareness, love, cognitive insight, the sparkle in one’s eye, mental clarity, and joy (and probably a bunch more that we’re missing).

Light is warm and feels right. We all know what a “dark” day or mood is like. And instinctively, we are all drawn to the light.

Well, Chanukah is all about light. It’s about bringing brightness to a world in need — starting with my inner world. So, Chanukah is a specific celebration of a specific episode, but it’s also about bringing “light” to our business dealings, our relationships and the way we operate in the privacy of our own minds. It’s about doing something meaningful, being in the right mindset and operating that way; it’s about kindling “candles” throughout our day and bringing light to the world. The Torah tells us: “a Mitzvah is a candle,” each with a light all its own.

I just saw a powerful video that brings tears to your eyes and reminds us what it means to be a light even in the darkest moments.

A recently released video shows American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin and several others marking Chanukah from deep within Hamas’s underground tunnels.

In the clip, they attempt to light an improvised candle, ask for oxygen to help ignite the flame, and join together in a Chanukah song.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alex Lubanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino were all killed while in captivity. Seeing them cling to their Jewish identity in such darkness is both deeply moving and profoundly tragic, and we can learn so much from their example.

The way these heroes lived life in the tunnel is the deepest Jewish message: to illuminate the night with the flame of your Neshama, your soul. For yourself, for your loved ones, for your community, for the world.

Tap into your inner spark this Chanukah.

And as we gather this Sunday evening at Cambier Park for the first night of Chanukah, let’s carry this inspiration with us.

Let’s also pause to honor their precious souls, to hold their memory close, and to continue bringing light into the world in their merit. 

Chanukah is all about remembering that the flame is you, and the light you shed is your impact on a dark world.

Let’s take strength from these heroes, bring goodness and light to our community, and illuminate the world together.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos