Menorah Vandalized: Act of Anti-Semitism Rocks Hanover

An act of rank antisemitism rocked the Dartmouth Community as an unknown perpetrator shot out seven of nine lights on a ritual Chanukah Menorah that Dartmouth Chabad had erected on the Green, according to a College-wide notification from President Phillip Hanlon.

The College discovered the damage Wednesday night, on the seventh night of the Chanukah festival, and officials believe that the perpetrator defaced the Menorah “with what appears to be a pellet gun” at an uncertain time. Safety and Security has partnered with the Hanover Police Department to investigate the crime.

Hanlon condemned the “bigotry and hatred” of the incident in no uncertain terms, labeling the defacement “an affront to all” and vowing to repair the damage. With the Menorah’s religious importance, he concluded that the act had “come from a place of ignorance and cowardice.”

“We must all speak out when incidents such as this occur and remain united in our support for one other,” Hanlon urged. To the Dartmouth Jewish community, he announced the College’s unwavering support, saying that “we stand with you in anger and sadness at this despicable act.”

Commemorating the victory of the Jewish people against the Hellenic Seleucid Empire in the second century B.C., Chanukah has evolved into a major cultural and religious celebration for Jewish-Americans. The nine lights of the Menorah, traditionally lit in sequence over the eight days of festival, have come to represent a core part of modern Jewish spirituality and identity.

Despite the incident, Dartmouth Chabad and Hillel participants pressed forward with their plans to celebrate the Chanukah holiday. At 6:00pm on Thursday, members of Dartmouth’s Jewish student body gathered virtually and in-person to light the Menorah.

“In the spirit of Chanukah, even in the face of darkness, we still persevere and bring light,” Dartmouth Chabad and Hillel declared in a joint statement. 

“Tonight, we light the menorah for the last time in 2020, and show that even 2000 years after the Chanukah miracle we still stand for light when troubled by darkness.”