photo by: Ashley Golledge

Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel discusses the first day of Hanukkah at a menorah lighting ceremony at the Lawrence Arts Center on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. The Chabad Center for Jewish Life hosted the lighting.

As people around the world grapple with the prevalence of antisemitic hate speech, the University of Kansas’ Chabad Center for Jewish Life is aiming to spread a little bit of light here in Lawrence.

The center’s co-director, Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, spoke with the Journal-World about the issue of antisemitism last week and called on people everywhere to recognize just how widespread that speech has become.

“We are definitely in unprecedented times in the sense of how prevalent antisemitism has become in our country,” Tiechtel told the Journal-World. “There’s no question that it’s something which affects deeply all people — not just the Jewish people, but also in general. The reality is that when minorities are attacked, it affects the freedom of religion, the freedom of expression in our country.”

Tiechtel said that needs to matter to everyone, and everyone needs to feel motivated to do something about it. Tiechtel added that he’s very proud of Lawrence, where he said antisemitism is rarely experienced, but at the same time he’s very conscious of what’s going on outside of the community.

That’s because the world has become what Tiechtel calls a “small village.” One social media comment from a well-known figure can “seep into the hearts and homes” of small-town Kansas, he said. The impact of antisemitism isn’t limited by space or geographical location, Tiechtel said — the whole world now has a platform.

That has to spur action, he said, and the response should be simple — fight hatred with love.

“The way we do that is simply by encouraging everybody in this community to engage in more positive action,” Tiechtel continued. “The more good deeds that we do, the more goodness and kindness we do in our community, (it) allows us to focus on that which we all share and that which we all have in common.”

Tiechtel said everyone in a community has a unique role, and it’s important to embrace and channel that diversity into positivity.

That notion lies at the heart of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life’s Chanukah Celebration next Wednesday in front of the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. At 4:30 p.m., the center will light the candles on a public, 9-foot-tall menorah in front of the library, followed by a communitywide celebration. It coincides with the third night of Chanukah, the Jewish festival that begins Dec. 18 and continues for eight days through Dec. 26.

“The main message that we want to give is that beneath the surface of every terrible experience lies an opportunity for growth and goodness,” Tiechtel said of the event.

The celebration isn’t only for those of the Jewish faith to participate in. In fact, Tiechtel said folks from many different walks of life take part in the event each year. That’s something that Tiechtel said continues to impress him about Lawrence.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Tiechtel said. “For me personally, I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where there are thousands of menorahs lit everywhere. Wherever you turn, you see menorahs in the buildings and the windows. But none of that comes close to the emotion I have when I’m in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, surrounded by so many people from such a diverse, broad spectrum of backgrounds and affiliations all gathered together to celebrate that which unites us, which is the power of light and goodness. It’s such a moving experience that I have every year.”

One additional theme for this year’s celebration will be an expression of solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Tiechtel said organizers of the event have been thinking a lot this year about doing something meaningful on this front. They decided they’d host the Tum Balalaika Band. It’s a band of Ukrainian refugees who play klezmer music, an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of central and Eastern Europe.

Tiechtel said the band was popular in Odesa, a port city in southern Ukraine. Its members had to leave that city and have since been in the United States. It’ll be coming to Kansas for the first time for the Chanukah celebration, which Tiechtel said is especially exciting.

Tiechtel said the Chabad Center has a web page with a bit more information about the event. It also includes an RSVP form. He said an RSVP isn’t required, but it is encouraged since it allows folks to request that Chanukah candles or a menorah be sent to their home, free of charge.

“The most important message that we want to impart through this event is the sense of responsibility that every member of this community has,” Tiechtel said. “Every citizen of this great city shares this responsibility to engage in acts of goodness and kindness to make this world a better place. People sometimes underestimate the power of one good deed, but it has a ripple effect, especially during this holiday season.”

photo by: Contributed

The University of Kansas’ Chabad Center for Jewish Life’s “Mitzah Mobile” is pictured. The center will host a Chanukah Celebration open to all next Wednesday in front of the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.