Lowell City officials, Rabbi Zalman Gurkow and residents gather for Hanukkah candle lighting, call for solidarity after overseas attacks

Lowell City officials, religious leaders and local residents gathered for a public Hanukkah candle‑lighting ceremony where speakers condemned recent anti‑Semitic attacks overseas and urged community solidarity.

Rabbi Zalman Gurkow, who led the evening’s prayers and reflections, said the community must respond to violence by increasing acts of kindness and charity. “The question we have to ask tonight is not so much why did it happen, but what can we do about it?” he said, referencing recent attacks in Sydney, Australia and elsewhere. Rabbi Zalman said several rabbis killed in the Sydney attack were colleagues and added that a relative who attended the attack had been shot and “is recovering from surgery as we speak.”

Mayor Danny Rourke framed the event as a celebration of perseverance and light, saying the city would not be intimidated by hate. “We will not be intimidated, and the love in our hearts for all cultures will never be extinguished by hate and violence,” the mayor said.

The rabbi invited attendees to contribute a coin to a charity box as a collective act of goodness; organizers then invited the mayor, city councilors and city manager to light the Shamash before the crowd recited blessings and sang a version of the dreidel song. City staff and volunteers also offered menorah kits and small gifts for children, and refreshments were available to attendees on their way out.

The gathering included acknowledgments of public safety resources: the event host thanked the Lowell Police Department for its presence and Mayor Rourke noted the attendance of Superintendent Greg Hudon. Several elected officials were introduced during remarks, including City Councilor Rita Mercier and members of the state delegation.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken; the event was a communal observance and call for continued acts of solidarity and charity.