For the first time at Marquette, a six-foot menorah was displayed inside the Alumni Memorial Union to celebrate the start of Hanukkah.
Students, families and faculty, including University President Michael Lovell, gathered on the second floor of the AMU to watch the lighting of the first candles on the menorah, led by the Jewish Student Union on Dec. 7. Some attendees talked to one another while eating potato pancakes and jelly filled donuts — a few of the popular Hanukkah dishes.
Jack Redfern, a sophomore in the College of Education and treasurer of the Jewish Student Union, gave a speech on the meaning and history of Hanukkah. Members of the Jewish Student Union went on to light the middle candle on the menorah as well as the candle furthest to the right; blessings were led by Redfern throughout the lighting.
Hanukkah is an 8-day Jewish festival that begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month, Kislev. The holiday is celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting. Hanukkah dates back to the second century BCE when Jews reclaimed the holy temple and Jerusalem after having their city overtaken by the Greek army. Despite only having enough oil to light their menorah for one night, the light lasted for 8 days.
The Jewish Student Union decided to host an event for only the first candle lighting on the menorah.
Redfern met with Marquette Campus Ministry to make the event possible. The Jewish Student Union is affiliated with campus ministry. Campus Ministry was able to reserve space and provide food in order to celebrate. This year marked the first time a large menorah was displayed on the second floor of the AMU, as campus ministry usually places a Christmas tree there.
Rachel Gershon, a junior in the College of Education and vice president of the Jewish Student Union, said that this event served as an opportunity for students to engage with the Jewish culture here on campus.
“We wanted to share a sense of Jewish community, where we are able to share our traditions and show other Jewish students we are here to support them,” Gershon said.
Jane Blossom, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and president of the Jewish Student Union, said there were only about 15 Jewish students at the event, while the rest were non-Jewish students.
Due to the large number of non-Jewish students at the event, Redfern said that the event intended to spread awareness on the meaning of Hanukkah, while also celebrating the holiday.
“Even though Marquette is a Jesuit institution, we want to recognize all religions. There is diversity at Marquette, we want to be able to teach those cultures,” Redfern said.
Blossom notes the hardships that have overcome the Jewish community, inside and outside Marquette, over the course of the Isreal-Hamas war.
“My hope for the outcome of this event is to create some Jewish joy at Marquette. We’ve been going through a dark period with the war, it’s hard to find moments of joy,” Blossom said.
Blossom said that through this event, the Jewish Student Union embodied Marquette’s motto: “Be the Difference.”
“Despite tension on campus and things going on in the world, we were still able to share the beauty of Judaism. Being who we are and being vulnerable was the difference here,” Blossom said.
This story was written by Olivia Stanley. She can be reached at [email protected].
