In Springfield Monday Gov. JB Pritzker set the right tone for this season when he and other Jewish leaders assembled to light the state menorah. He first expressed his grief about the mass shooting in Australia which killed 15 at a Hanukkah celebration. Pritzker said he is angry “at those who stoke the embers of a fire that seems to continue to burn in the hearts of bigots everywhere,” and “Antisemitism and hatred across the board have been on the rise for the last several years.” Earlier that day, Pritzker had demonstrated one reaction to grief and darkness by announcing a $2 million grant to Springfield’s program to combat homelessness (page 4). “Throughout history,” Pritzker said at the menorah ceremony, “when we have needed light the most, when it seemed the darkest, we found it. We found it in our faith, we found it in one another. Now is not the time to hide our light, but to continue to proudly show to the world who we are, in acts of defiance and solidarity and joy. If we work together, the light brings hope and healing and better days ahead.” – Fletcher Farrar, editor
This article appears in December 18-24, 2025.
