Project Menorah promotes an simple act of solidarity with Jews this holiday, amid rising antisemitism in US

With a 400% rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, many Jewish families have expressed concerns about displaying their menorah in their window this year to celebrate the eight-day winter holiday of Hanukkah.

However, thanks to a grassroots movement called Project Menorah, non-Jewish friends and neighbors are stepping up to show their support and solidarity with the Jewish people by placing a Hanukkah menorah, hanukkiah, in their windows to let them know they are not alone.

In November, when Jack, the 6-year-old son of Adam Kulbersh, asked if they could decorate the outside of their home for Hanukkah, his father said he was concerned that this year, it might make his home a target for antisemitism, as the Jewish community makes up less than 2% of American citizens.

“To know that he is so proud of our heritage and that I could not allow this joyous expression was devastating,” he said.

Kulbersh shared his disappointment with a non-Jewish friend, Jennifer Marshall, who immediately volunteered to place a menorah in her window to show her support.

“I’ll put a menorah in our window too. You are not alone,” Marshall told Kulbersh.

“My heart breaks for my Jewish friends and family. I’ve been watching so many of them live with increased anxiety and fear. While I can’t solve everything, I can do this one thing," Marshall said. "I truly hope other non-Jews will join me in standing with the Jewish community at a time when many Jews feel so alone.”

Marshall’s act of friendship and support quickly turned into a movement to mobilize more help from the non-Jewish community.

Project Menorah gets its vision from previous acts of solidarity shown by non-Jews during dark times in history, such as Miep Gies, who hid Anne Frank from the Nazis and kept the young girl's diary for the world to see.

The project's website cites the global activists who fought to help nearly 10,000 Jews escape the Soviet Union, as well as the millions who spoke out in solidarity with the Jewish community following the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2018.

“With Project Menorah, I’m hoping to engage those helpers now. With one simple act, your Jewish friends and neighbors will know that you are a safe place, and you’ll be shining your own light into the world,” according to Kulbersh's statement on the website.

The project encourages non-Jews to place a hanukkiah alongside other holiday decorations in their windows this December as a simple way to show support for the Jewish community.

Many Jewish families are feeling alone and scared and many Christians and non-Jews are looking for practical ways to help. Project Menorah is a great way to show your Jewish neighbors and friends they are not alone.

Participants are asked to share photos of their Hanukkah decorations on social media with the hashtags #onlyloveliveshere #projectmenorah.