'No place for hate': Gov. Gordon encourages peace at annual Hanukkah celebration

Dec. 11—CHEYENNE — The message of a light guiding a way through darkness was the theme of this year's Hanukkah event held in the Wyoming Capitol on Monday, where rabbis from across the state reflected on the devastating war between Israel and Hamas.

Just two months earlier, a vigil was held on the steps of the Capitol on a cold Monday night to honor the lives lost in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In stark contrast to the somber event, which was attended by a small group of people, dozens of people crowded the marble hallways of the Capitol, where a large menorah stood behind the Cheyenne Youth Symphony.

Bread, meat and sushi were laid out on the tables in the hallway, filling the air with mouth-watering scents, and music played by the youth orchestra echoed through the hallways.

"The state keeps honoring us time and time again," Matani Ravenna, a Cheyenne resident who helped organize both Hanukkah and the vigil, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. "This comes after the governor's decision to lower the flags to half-staff. This comes after the bill that says Wyoming supports Israel. Many of the senators, some that are here, put their names on it. It's a pleasure to be in such a wonderful state."

Chabad Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn of Jackson said this event has grown every year, but he said he believes the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel inspired the large turnout for this year's celebration. He encouraged everyone, regardless of their religious background, to light a menorah in their window in support of the Jewish community.

"We don't tolerate hate. We don't tolerate bigotry. We don't tolerate anti-semitism. We don't tolerate anti-Israel propaganda," Mendelsohn told the WTE. "This is a testament to how wonderful our both elected and representative communities are. They stand with Israel during a time of sorrow and grief."

Before Gov. Mark Gordon spoke at the event, as he does every year, he was presented with a painting of a lion beneath a menorah, a gift from Rabbi Yaakov Raskin with Chabad Laramie. Raskin said the painting was made by a friend of his and represented the power of the menorah fueling the lion.

"'King' is really just the ancient word of saying 'a leader,'" Raskin said. "A leader is someone who stands forth and guides the way."

The gift was a way of saying 'thank you' to the governor, Raskin said, for his leadership in Wyoming.

"Year in and year out, good times and bad, it has always been an honor to be here to witness the lighting of the menorah," Gordon said. "It's also wonderful to have so many of our great senators here and representatives. I think it shows that Wyoming is living up to its constitutional challenge — that we care about the people, that we have no place for hate here in Wyoming."

Gordon accompanied Raskin in the annual lighting of the menorah, illuminating five bright lights in honor of the fifth day of Hanukkah, which began last Thursday. Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights that takes place over an eight-day period. Each night, another candle is lit on the menorah.

The holiday symbolizes an intolerance of oppression, Mendelsohn said, and was formed after the Syrian Greek army attacked Jerusalem 2,100 years ago and "sought to stamp out all Jewish tradition."

"We will not tolerate (oppression)," Mendelsohn said. "We will fight back and, even though we are outnumbered, outgunned and outsized, we will do whatever it takes to capture our holy city of Jerusalem."

The ceremony ended in a recitation of the Prayer for Israel before everyone got up and helped themselves to plates of food.

Several lawmakers sat in the crowd of people, including Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, who said it was important to come together during these difficult times.

"Right now, the world we're experiencing (has) a lot of darkness," Gierau told the WTE after the ceremony. "And it isn't just confined to the Middle East, you know, whether you're in Myanmar, in Africa, Ukraine, all over the world are people that are oppressed."

Gierau recognized that a religious event was being hosted in a state government building. People might say this was a conflict in the separation of church and state, he said, but this wasn't about religion. It's about finding a light during times of darkness.

"It couldn't be more appropriate, in my view, because once again we are shining on things that are dark," he said, gesturing to the gathering of people in the hall. "That's what we do in government. We talk about things that, at times, are uncomfortable to talk about."

Hannah Shields is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3167 or hshields@wyomingnews.com. You can follow her on X @happyfeet004.