Community gathers for Menorah Lighting at Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook
By Donna Newman
Taking advantage of the concurrence of Christmas and the first night of Chanukah, Rabbi Joshua Gray opened Temple Isaiah’s Menorah Lighting to the entire Stony Brook community on Dec. 25.
Approximately 130 people RSVPed and the turnout delighted congregants and guests alike. Christians, Jews and Muslims all similarly celebrate Festivals of Light at this dark time of year – with special foods and the singing of songs. Inviting people to partake in a happy holiday tradition highlights the similarities of our faiths. Sharing our religious and ethnic customs brings us closer together.
Said Rabbi Gray, “As we light the menorah, we recognize that each individual candle creates one unified light. We add our light to the world, and pray that its warm glow finds its way to any in the world who need it.”
