We are the grandchildren of holocaust survivors. Our children light Shabbat candles and say the hamotzi over freshly baked challah because they lived. Every milestone we’ve passed as a family has been steeped in Jewish tradition and love. In the wake of the terrorist attacks and atrocities committed in Israel we are once again reminded that antisemitism wears many faces. We are being forced to bury our babies, our children, our grandmothers in a silence so loud it’s deafening. There is no justification for these actions - only hatred.

As Jews we have always believed life should be valued and cherished. We will not be silenced and made to sit to the side. We will stand against terrorism, against antisemitism, against evil. We will stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters. We will stand with Israel. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.' That is what being Jewish is about - being a light. In the face of so much darkness it may seem futile, but we will continue to strike the match, light the candles, and welcome Shabbat into our home.