SCRANTON, Pa. — Rabbi Daniel Swartz led more than a dozen congregation members in a blessing before their Friday evening Hanukkah dinner.
A public gathering that sees safety as a top priority.
"We definitely want to have a physical presence of security on occasions like this in addition to our regular measures. We want people to feel safe, and we want them to want to come out," said Rabbi Daniel Swartz, Temple Hesed.
The second night of Hanukkah comes a little more than two months since the war between Hamas and Israel began.
While the fear of hate and anti-Semitic crimes is still real, Rabbi Swartz says they are constantly looking to stay ahead of the problem, "We are on top of it, and I think security planning is going to be something we have to do for the long-haul. It's just now going to be a budget item for every synagogue in the country."
Working with local and state agencies, Swartz says no threats came against Temple Hesed in the lead-up to holiday events, allowing for an evening of good food and prayer.
"People really have come together. I have heard from my colleagues of other faiths throughout this time. Just checking in and making sure we are feeling safe," said Rabbi Swartz.
In Swartz's words, it's a little bit of light that can transform a lot of darkness, "In some ways, if folks are staying home, then the folks doing violence and terrorism have won, so we want to make sure that we both are secure, but people also feel secure," he said.