Over 80 Tufts students huddled together last night on the back patio of Olin to light the first Hanukkah candle. President Lawrence Bacow did the honors, using an eight-candle menorah provided by Chabad.
After quieting the audience, Rabbi Tzvi Backman talked about the relevance of Hanukkah and urged students to be their "own menorahs."
"I think there is an important lesson here that is relevant today: Don't be afraid to start with the minimal resources you have. Take the first step, and the results may surprise you," he said.
Bacow spoke next. "It's important that we gather to celebrate the Festival of Lights at a university where we celebrate pax et lux, or peace and light," he said. He then lit the candle.
Afterwards, Backman led everyone in a traditional Hanukkah song. Latkes and donuts were served and students took home their own menorahs.
The overall atmosphere was full of Hanukkah spirit despite the chilly weather.
"It was a lot more entertaining than I expected," freshman Kirsten Brown said. "I thought it would be a quick candle-lighting ceremony. I didn't think that they would go through all of the prayers. I thought they paid a lot of attention [to] the holiday and made sure we all know what we are celebrating."
