Key Points:
• The City of Sandy Springs held a Menorah lighting to show solidarity with victims and families of recent antisemitic attacks.
• City council members and state legislators joined in the ceremony held outside Sandy Springs City Hall.
Sandy Springs officials said during a menorah lighting ceremony at City Springs on Dec. 16 that they stood in solidarity with victims and families from recent antisemitic events in Australia and at Brown University.
Mayor Rusty Paul spoke about how recent events like the attacks in Australia and Brown University bring the rise in antisemitism front and center, and that “we must not let those events hinder our light. We stand in solidarity with the victims and their families.”
A city spokesperson told Rough Draft that Council Members Andy Bauman and Jody Reichel echoed the mayor’s sentiment. They said the recent events have “rocked” them, but they are proud to live in a community where they feel safe.
The ceremony continued with Rabbi Natan Trief of Temple Sinai in Sandy Springs explaining the history of Hannukah and the meaning behind the lights and the holiday. Children were invited to help light the menorah as he sang the blessing.
The event, organized days after an antisemitic terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, drew 50 to 60 people, according to the city spokesperson.
Council Members John Paulson and Melissa Mular, and incoming Council Member Andrew Chinsky attended the menorah lighting. State Legislators who attended included Rep. Josh Bonner, R-Fayetteville, Rep. Esther Panitch, D-Sandy Springs, Rep. Shea Roberts, D-Atlanta, and Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs.