DOWNTOWN (KGTV) — The Seaport Village Hanukkah Festival, originally scheduled for Monday evening, has been relocated to an undisclosed location due to safety concerns following a recent antisemitic attack in Australia.
A spokesperson with Seaport Village said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution" after recent events prompted security concerns for the outdoor celebration.
Rabbi Zalman Carlebach of Chabad of Downtown, who was organizing the event, said the community will not be deterred by threats.
"We are not going to allow the terrorists and our opposition to really come against us, but we are going to fight back and be strong by acts of goodness and kindness," Carlebach said.
The Chabad of Downtown initially planned to host the menorah lighting outdoors at Seaport Village Sunday evening. Traditionally, the menorah is lit and displayed toward the street as a way to spread light to the world, but the celebration has been moved indoors to ensure attendee safety.
"The fact that we have to move the event indoors is a big blow to us. We really feel hurt. We feel victimized, but we will not allow ourselves to cower to terrorists and acts of terrorism," Carlebach said.
Despite the venue change, community interest remains strong. More than 100 people have already secured reservations for the relocated celebration through Chabad of Downtown's website.
"We will not allow the darkness to permeate our existence. We will continue," Carlebach said. "The main point is we continue to spread the light, and we continue to spread the kindness to everyone around."
The rabbi noted that Sunday's Hanukkah celebration at Liberty Station drew a large crowd, and he expects similar attendance for the second day of Hanukkah.
"We find that there are more people attending, more people who want to connect with the light and the message of Hanukkah, which is spreading light," Carlebach said.
People wishing to attend the relocated celebration must make reservations on Chabad of Downtown's website.
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