East Rockaway lights the menorah

About 40 East Rockaway residents braved the cold on Dec. 11 to partake in the village’s annual menorah lighting outside of Village Hall.

“It was a small, but enthusiastic crowd,” said Rabbi Andrew Warmflash, the religious leader of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre, who led the menorah lighting. “I enjoyed it.”

Warmflash spoke at the ceremony about the menorah, which he described as a symbol of Jewish survival. According to Jewish tradition, Jewish forces fought off their Greek and Syrian conquerors who outlawed Judaism. Today, Jews light a menorah to commemorate the victory.

“I think it’s really about religious freedom,” Warmflash said. “It’s about the rights of all people to worship freely.”