This piece has been updated to mention a further response from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Following the October 7 terrorist attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel, there's been a disturbing rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world as demonstrations from pro-Hamas and anti-Israel agitators harass Jews and disrupt daily activities, including holiday celebrations as we get closer to Hanukkah and Christmas.
Last week, pro-Hamas agitators disrupted the annual lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. This has been a pattern in New York especially, where agitators also stormed Grand Central station in late October and November. As our sister site of Twitchy highlighted, Christopher Rufo warned of "another riot season."
Others are afraid of even just supporting the Jewish community at such a time. Now, there have been reports regarding the cancellation of Hanukkah celebrations, including in Virginia.
The Richmond-Times Dispatch reported that "Jewish groups say Williamsburg Hanukkah celebration canceled over Gaza war." Shirley Vermillion of LoveLightPlacemaking is at the front of the controversy:
Shirley Vermillion, whose group LoveLight Placemaking hosts art, music and cultural festivals in Williamsburg on the second Sunday of each month, denied accusations that she had nixed the event.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch could not reach Vermillion for comment, but earlier in the day she told a television station that the Hanukkah celebration “was never ‘canceled’ because it was never scheduled in the first place.”
“It was proposed but was not consistent with the purpose of this non-religious, community art and music festival, and the proposal was denied,” Vermillion said. “We are not comfortable or interested in taking religious or cultural sides.”
Late Monday, it was reported that the Chabad had found another site for the menorah, but The Times-Dispatch was not able to confirm it.
Rabbi Yossel Krantz, director of Chabad of Virginia — a global Jewish organization Krantz said was sponsoring the event — called Vermillion’s response “backpedaling.”
Krantz told The Times-Dispatch that the event was scheduled to take place before LoveLight Placemaking suddenly “withdrew their support unless Chabad would hang a banner denouncing Israel’s actions in Gaza.”
“Unfortunately, this event was politicized by LoveLight Placemaking and their founder,” Krantz said.
Chabad would not display such a banner, Krantz said, because the lighting of the menorah is a religious practice and not a political one, and Chabad’s leadership did not want to “conflate” the religion of Judaism and the state of Israel.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin posted about the cancelation on his official X account, with the story and his reaction being featured by local and national media, including reporting from Fox News.
"Singling out the Jewish community by canceling this Hanukkah celebration is absurd and antisemitic," his post noted in part, as he called on the event organizers to move forward with the event.
Singling out the Jewish community by canceling this Hanukkah celebration is absurd and antisemitic.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) December 4, 2023
The event organizers should immediately reconsider their actions and move forward with the menorah lighting. https://t.co/smc7P3xgoX
The Washington Post had more details on the absurd exchange between Vermillion and another rabbi involved, Rabbi Mendy Heber:
Heber had hoped a menorah lighting this coming Sunday, the fourth night of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, during an arts and music festival in Williamsburg, Va., would be a chance to highlight the message of light amid darkness, without emphasizing religion.
The festival occurs on the second Sunday of every month from March to December, with more than 150 artisans, musicians, street performers and food vendors.
However, Heber’s proposal was ultimately rejected. Vermillion, the organizer, said in a statement to The Washington Post that the festival has never included religious events and told the Virginia Gazette that the organization has also denied past requests from Christian and other religious groups to perform.
She also said in a private message to Heber — which a local Jewish group shared with The Post — that organizers were rejecting the proposal “unless we could get an Islamic group to participate at the same time. We are about Peace, Love & light... don’t want to make it seem we’re choosing a side — supporting the killing/bombing of thousands of men, women & children.”
Heber replied: “This would not have anything to do with Israel! Nothing to do with Zionism. Everything to do with adding light in the world.”
Ultimately, Vermillion proposed another option: “Our board members said they’d be ok with proceeding if you’d do it under a cease fire banner.”
That report mentioned that a spokesperson for Attorney General Jason Miyares indicated the agency's anti-Semitism taskforce is involved with local Jewish leaders on the incident. "Hanukkah is not political; it's a peaceful religious holiday that has been celebrated and recognized for thousands of years," Miyares shared in a statement.
A statement from the police further highlights how Hanukkah celebrations are being canceled even when there doesn't appear to be a reported threat in the area (emphasis added):
Williamsburg Police Investigator Steve Roberts Jr. said he was not authorized to speak on the matter and referred questions to Nicole Trifone, a spokesperson for the city manager’s office. Trifone acknowledged in a statement Monday that the city knew of “messages that could be construed as threatening sent to the event and event organizer,” but added that they were not aware of any organized antisemitic activity.
“This is a private matter in which the City of Williamsburg is not involved, and we have no role in curating the artists, vendors, or participants of 2nd Sundays,” Trifone said.
Youngkin held a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Virginia Capitol on December 1. He'll also be participating in menorah lighting ceremonies next week, including in Loudoun County. The governor's office has also shared with Townhall that Youngkin has invited Rabbi Heber of Chabad Williamsburg to the executive mansion for a Hanukkah reception.
Meanwhile, in California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will be holding a virtual ceremony.
First they cancel the Hanukkah lightings now the Christmas tree lightings. Stop letting the terrorists win. https://t.co/hQkPXEi4DM
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) December 6, 2023
Newsom’s office just announced the pre-recorded ceremony will be streamed on social media Wednesday night at 6pm. pic.twitter.com/oHLGfn5dqy
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) December 5, 2023
Neither Newsom's X account nor the account for the office of the governor have addressed the decision, let alone condemned anti-Semitic behavior, as Youngkin's post above did. Statements addressing how the normally scheduled event for Tuesday was instead rescheduled as a Wednesday virtual event came from a spokesperson and were included in a local news report:
"As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales – and for the safety and security of all participating members and guests including children and families – the ceremony this year will be virtual," a Newsom spokesperson said on Tuesday afternoon. "The program is unchanged and viewers can tune in Wednesday evening to watch this year’s festivities."
...
The development for the 92nd annual event marks a major shift in plans after multiple sources told KCRA 3 the governor had been planning to host the event on Tuesday featuring a night market with small businesses set up along the Capitol and several musical performances.
The Midtown Business Association posted on Nov. 29 that the tree lighting would be virtual.
"As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales, we have decided not to continue with the holiday market as planned on Tuesday, December 5. We will provide updates on our holiday plans and family-friendly festivities at a future date," the update read.
...
Last week, the California Highway Patrol's permit calendar showed the tree lighting ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday evening, but by the weekend the listing had been removed.
On Monday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol barricaded the majority of the building's west side lawn, where the tree is located. Multiple signs read, "KEEP OUT, NO TRESSPASSING" and warned the area was under 24-hour video surveillance and violators would be arrested and prosecuted. Witnesses told KCRA 3 they saw Gov. Newsom and his family recording part of the ceremony inside the rotunda of the capitol on Monday night.
On Tuesday evening, just before the capitol closed, KCRA 3 saw members of Newsom's office setting up to record a musical segment of the ceremony inside the rotunda.
The report also mentions that the decision didn't make the pro-Hamas demonstrators happy either:
The announcement comes as the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights said it planned to rally and march to the state Capitol Tuesday night to call for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. In an advisory to KCRA 3, the group said it wanted to "out Gov. Gavin Newsom for hiding from the public because he doesn't want to face their anger at his shameful stance in regard to the genocide in Gaza."
"Governor Newsom decided to cancel the tree lighting ceremony rather than face the public that is enraged by his shameful silence on the genocide in Gaza. This certainly doesn't add up with his past stance with Native Americans," said Yassar Dahbour of Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights.
The Biden administration, which Newsom bent over backward to praise during last week's "The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate" against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, provided a shameful non-answer to the issue as well.
During Monday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about these cancellations in the general sense. She wasn't able to offer much of a substantive answer, though what her answer did include, as it's done for months now, was concern about fear "in the Muslim community," despite it having nothing to do with the reporter's question.
"Does the White House, does the administration, have any evidence or concern about the safety of some of these demonstrations?" a report asked. "I don't have any specifics to lay out as we get closer to the holiday," Jean-Pierre answered in part.
Her answer before and after that involved a response that, without specifics, mentioned, "We understand the fear that people in the Jewish community must be feeling right now, which is why we have taken action to do everything that we can to make sure that people in that community feel protected." Jean-Pierre also claimed, "And that's what we're going to continue to do."
Rather than end her question with, "I don't have any specifics to lay out as we get closer to the holiday," Jean-Pierre tied together hate against Jews with other communities. "But obviously, we have seen an uptick in antisemitism. We have seen an uptick in hate, just more broadly, in different communities – obviously, also in the Muslim community. And so, we will do everything that we can to make sure that these communities feel safe," she responded before moving on.
INCREDIBLE.
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 4, 2023
KJP was asked a softball by NBC's Mike Memoli to denounce cancellations of Hanukkah celebrations and, for those that will happen, if there's any security concerns annnnd she had to mention Islamophobia and fear "in the Muslim community" pic.twitter.com/PtuXu1SD2T
