Safety during Hanukkah celebrations in Naples

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, begins Thursday. One candle is lit on each of the eight nights to remind the Jewish community of when they fought for survival long ago.

Nobody is ignoring or downplaying the FBI’s warning of an increase in terror threats. The focus for the rest of the holiday will be the burning candlelight.

Despite any anxiety felt, the people at Cambier Park are determined to come together.

Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of light, which occurred during a dark time in Jewish history. Light prevailed and expelled the darkness. However, some are feeling that darkness in modern times amid the war in Gaza and threats of terror.

“In the darkest of times, we look to our community for unity within the Jewish people,” said Steve Stewart, a man attending Chabad Naples Festival of Lights.

“Rabbi Fishel was saying when everything is going on what can you do to help out, and one of those things is yes, focus on doing mitzvahs, being good, and being with your family and the people that you love the most,” said Yael Low, a woman attending Chabad Naples Festival of Lights.

At Chabad Naples Festival of Lights, Rabbi Fishel told WIN News safety is paramount.

He knows and lives what the FBI said this week, that there is “An increase in reported threats to Jewish and Muslim people, institutions, and houses of worship here in the United States.”

“If you look around to just the perimeters, you see Florida Highway Patrol, Naples Police Department, a full team of tri-core security, and this is the reality on hand,” said Rabbi Fishel.

Cambier Park in Naples is the kind of soft target that keeps law enforcement on all levels up at night. It’s an open park, easily accessible and relatively unprotected, except for Thursday night.

“So we have our Naples police department, we have the Florida Highway Patrol, as well as our own private security, a team here with us tonight, and we have full trust and faith that they’re doing their job, and they’re doing it well,” said Ettie Zaklos, the co-director of Chabad Jewish Center of Naples.

Which allows them to come together, one community, one people, to welcome the holiday of Hanukkah and trust that light will always expel the darkness.

“We come together, and that faith will carry us forward,” said Rabbi Fishel.

State troopers, Naples police officers, Collier County Sheriff’s deputies and other security officials are all at the event to keep it safe.