NORFOLK, Va. — Amid rising reports of antisemitism, Chabad of Tidewater drove a message of light and hope through Norfolk's Ghent neighborhood Wednesday night.
The Grand Menorah Car Parade is an annual event hosted by Chabad. Wednesday's parade featured 30-40 cars, outfitted with rooftop menorahs.
“While many would like Jewish people to live in fear, our response this Chanukah is to spread the light and show our Jewish pride more than ever before,” Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky of Chabad of Tidewater said in a news release.
This year's parade came in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, and as reports of antisemitism continue to surface across the country. This month, several universities have faced new federal investigations for allegations of antisemitism.
Just last week, the University of Pennsylvania’s president Liz Magill resigned amid pressure from donors and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.
RELATED: Liz Magill, U. Penn's president, and board chair resign as antisemitism testimony draws backlash
Magill had appeared in a U.S. House committee on antisemitism on college campuses with the presidents of Harvard University and MIT.
Harvard President Claudine Gay will remain in her position, following calls from lawmakers and donors for Gay to step down, following Magill's resignation on Saturday.
“In response to Oct. 7, Jews have chosen to celebrate their identity this Hanukkah with more confidence, resolve and determination," Brashevitzky said.
Hanukkah will end at nightfall on Friday.