Ronit Franco-Pinsky's Chanukah Message for 2024

The staff of Atlanta Jewish Times shares their thoughts and inspiration for Chanukah this year.

Cheers to 100 Years and More of Openly Celebrating Chanukah in Jewish Atlanta

As we approach the 2024 Chanukah holiday, starting on the 25th of Kislev 5785, this year coincides with Christmas on December 25th. This makes it especially meaningful for our family as we celebrate with our new son-in-law and his family.

Over the past 100 years, our Jewish community has experienced both joyful and challenging times while celebrating the holiday of Light. We’ve enjoyed moments of happiness and safety, as well as faced darker periods when antisemitism was on the rise, as we are unfortunately facing nowadays.

I reflect on the year that has passed since we last celebrated. Last year, I was in Israel, surrounded by family and friends, celebrating in a spirit of hope, optimism, and encouragement. Just two weeks before the holiday, many hostages were released as part of a hostage deal and temporary ceasefire, filling us all with relief and gratitude.

As Israelis, we have faced horrors unlike anything we’ve ever known, and we’ve felt the absence of people we may never have met, constantly worried about their safety, lost in the darkness, and separated from their families. But seeing families reunited, visiting the Hostage Square, and meeting with families, gave me a profound sense of hope and love for my homeland—stronger and more intense than ever before.

It was truly beautiful to witness the giant menorah at the Tel Aviv center lighting up. We celebrated with my family up north at Zircon Yakov where my 6-year-old nieces and my 80-plus-year-old parents all lit the menorah together. The sufganiyot (doughnuts) in Israel are something special filled with flavors from peanut butter to Nutella, almond, pistachio, whipped cream, and, of course, the homemade raspberry ones that are so delicious.

This year, I’m looking forward to hosting our family and friends’ Chanukah party with my daughter. We always invite our non-Jewish friends to join us in lighting the candles and celebrating with latkes, sufganiyot, and drinks to raise a toast.

I wish for a beautiful holiday filled with presents, family gatherings, and fun. But above all, my deepest wish is for all the 100 remaining hostages to return home safely and reunite with their families.

Ronit Franco-Pinsky is the Executive Assistant for Atlanta Jewish Times.