Hanukkah is taking on a deeper emotional weight this year as Jewish communities connect the Bondi Beach terrorist massacre and stories of hostages like Hersh Goldberg-Polin secretly lighting makeshift menorahs into a single global narrative of grief and resilience. From Sydney to Berlin, New York, London, Warsaw, Stockholm, Rome, and university campuses across the USA, public and private candle lightings go ahead under heavy security, with figures such as Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Riccardo Di Segni, Daniel Janouch, Joe Gruters, Eric Adams, Laurent Nunez, and senior police officials stressing that Jews must be able to celebrate in safety. Authorities and community groups including Chabad of Bondi, Chabad networks in Europe, Berlin police, New York Hall, Poland’s National Police Headquarters, London’s Metropolitan Police, and French interior services describe the festival’s lights as symbols of hope and Jewish vitality against darkness, even as they condemn what Australian officials call a targeted antisemitic attack and warn of a wider climate of rising antisemitism and insecurity worldwide.