The smell of fresh paint permeated the walls of the lecture hall at Chabad Outreach of Houston as Rabbi Mendy Traxler put the finishing touches on a roughly 4-foot menorah he’d just painted brown.

The room is typically used for events, lectures and classes. But on a recent Monday afternoon, it was transformed into a workshop with boxes, drills and screws everywhere as Traxler, who goes by Rabbi Mendy, assembled roughly 50 menorahs in preparation for the 28th annual Menorah Car Parade on Dec. 7, the first night of Hanukkah the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights.

Normally it would’ve felt like tradition, but this year feels different. 

The stakes have been raised ever since Oct. 7 when Hamas, the Palestinian militant group controlling the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. The Israeli military retaliated with air strikes on Gaza, and now more than 17,000 Palestininans have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures reported by Reuters. 

As the war continues, antisemitism appears to be on the rise. Newly released national data from the FBI shows that hate crime incidents have increased, particularly against Jewish communities. Data from the Anti-Defamation League also reveals a striking uptick in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in the two months following the Oct. 7 attack. The organization reported 2,031 incidents during that time period, a jump of 337 percent in comparison to the same period last year. At least 1,411 were directly linked to the war, according to the report. 

Houston hasn’t seen the “worst kind” of antisemitic incidents that the nation has seen, said Mark Toubin, the ADL’s Southwest regional director — a trend that he hopes continues. 

Still, some Jewish Houstonians have toned down public symbols of their faith since the war erupted, fearing they’ll be targeted. But others, like congregants of the Chabad Outreach of Houston, are emphatic about leaning more into their faith and proudly displaying their Judaism. 

“Our posture has to be one of being proud and not being intimidated by negativity,” said Rabbi Mendy Traxler Sr., who goes by Rabbi Traxler to distinguish from his son. “The way to push away darkness is with more light. And that’s what the whole holiday is all about.”

‘Bigger, better, greater’

Rabbi Mendy said although there’s “definitely a heightened sense of security,” this year, he’s confident that the “light will prevail.”

“We just have to keep going. Everyone is a little more alert,” he said. “But the only way to move on is by adding more light. Doing good deeds is the only way to combat evil.”

He’s had one of the brown, 4-foot menorahs crowned on top of his black Suburban since Thanksgiving, and said he has noticed he’s received far more honks and thumbs up, rather than hate, in his daily travels. 

Regardless, he said he never considered scaling back Hanukkah celebrations this year. 

“If anything, I would have increased,” Rabbi Mendy said while tightening the bolts on a menorah with a drill, adding that he would have liked to find “ways to make it bigger. Bigger, better, greater.”

Just before the parade began at sundown on the first night of Hanukkah, near the intersection of Fondren Road and Portal Drive, Rabbi Mendy was standing in the bed of his white pickup truck fastening down speakers that blasted pop songs like Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya,’ which had been remixed to include mentions of Hanukkah.

For roughly 30 miles around the region, he led 50 cars, including police cruisers and fire trucks,  that had been crowned with menorahs. Families and spectators waved in excitement as members of the Jewish community passed by, rallying together with a collective goal of spreading light and positivity this holiday season.

‘We are used to being persecuted’

Yudi Filler, a third-year participant who drove his menorah-topped car in the parade, said he refuses to scale back any outward displays of Judaism due to fear.

“This year, it’s the most important,” he said just before the parade started. “Now is when Jews need to stand up. Everybody needs to see light.”

Another third-year participant echoed the same sentiment, pointing out that maltreatment against Jews is nothing new.

“We are used to being persecuted,” said Tabitha Lenox, in reference to the Holocaust, as she secured an Israeli flag onto the hood of her Cadillac SUV.

“The unity of the Jewish people, that’s what keeps us strong together,” she said.

Ron Morassini and his wife, Ingrid, learned about the parade last year after watching it drive by their neighborhood, but this year they were determined to participate.

For the Morassinis the Oct. 7 attack hit close to home. Relatives of a couple they consider family friends were injured in the attack that day and stuck in Israel without any way of getting out. 

“We don’t hold back,” he said, noting they gathered outside of City Hall and have gone to a number of rallies around the region. 

“We may not be there, but we’re doing our prayers,” Ron Morassini said. “We’re involved. Every Jew is affected by what happened.”

Rabbi Mendy and Chabad Outreach of Houston held their annual menorah lighting at City Hall on Sunday. Houston’s City Hall building has been lit light blue and white for Hanukkah this year as well.

‘Keeping it simple this year’

While Chabad Outreach of Houston is maintaining tradition, some other popular annual celebrations have dialed back. The Hanukkah House, a Meyerland area residential property known for its elaborate blue and white lights and unique Hanukkah decorations — some of which are handmade — decided to “keep it simple” this year “with only white lights in hope of peace,” according to a Facebook post.

The Hanukkah House owners declined an interview but told the Houston Landing in a Facebook message that they have been contemplating “toning it down a bit” for the last few years. 

Safety and security during this time of heightened anxiety has been of “utmost concern” at the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, said spokesperson Taryn Baranowski. 

“As a Federation, we want people to still be able to practice their religion freely, but we also want them to be safe,” she said. 

The Federation has routinely promoted the Hanukkah House over the years. This year however, she said their security team gave property owners a risk assessment listing safety and mitigation recommendations if they decided to proceed. 

“Due to world events and the threat landscape in the U.S., celebrating Chanukah this year is more challenging and requires extra vigilance,” said Al Tribble, a former FBI agent and the community security director with the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, in a statement. 

“The stakes are much higher for homes that contain young children and spouses. The risk of injury to property and loved ones may [dampen] overt expressions of Judaism.”

Locally, antisemitism has primarily appeared in the form of vandalism, Baranowski said, referring to the “Pray for Israel” billboard that was destroyed near the intersection of Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street. Houston police officials believe that sometime between the night of Nov. 26 and the morning of Nov. 27, someone vandalized the billboard and left a Palestinian flag on it, according to HPD spokesperson Shay Awosiyan. The vandalism investigation is still ongoing to determine whether it was a hate crime, Awosiyan said.

But the Federation wanted to take a “proactive” approach, she said, by collaborating with the Secure Community Network, a Jewish safety and security nonprofit and hiring Tribble, someone who specialized in hate crimes. 

“When it comes to hate crimes, the Jewish community is one of the smallest religious groups but it is the most that experiences hate crimes against it.,” Baranowski said, referencing the 2019 standoff at Fort Worth’s Colleyville Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, where a gunman held four people hostage for roughly 11 hours.

For that reason, Baranowski said the Federation also has pivoted away from public celebrations and this year is partnering with the Children’s Museum of Houston to commemorate Hanukkah in a “closed environment” with an olive oil pressing workshop led by Rabbi Mendy. 

“It is a place where people have to purchase tickets to get inside,” Baranowski said, “There are security measures. It’s a little bit more closed environment. So for us it is mostly about – are we, in this time of heightened concern, making those steps possible to convene and continue to practice religion, but with safety and security top of mind?”

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