 Happy Hanukkah everyone. Hi, my name is Elio Yonik. I live in Burlington. I work at the Chabad Center there. We'd like to welcome Governor Phil Scott and Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman and to congratulate them on their winning their re-election. We'd like to thank them here today for coming as we kindle the second flame of the menorah. Hanukkah marks the miraculous victory of the Jewish freedom fighters who ousted the powerful Syrian Greeks from the Holy Land well over 2,000 years ago. It was a victory of religious freedom against an oppressive regime of heavy-handed pagans who tried to force their culture and beliefs on the Jewish people. But we stood strong. We did not cave in to the wicked regime and their desires that would be like them. Then upon entering the newly liberated Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the victorious Jewish armies found a small jar of pure olive oil with which to kindle the lamp that always burned there. Miraculously, the oil, which was enough for just one day, burned for eight days, the time it took to bring fresh supplies. The sages declared that lights be written every Jewish home to commemorate the miracle publicly marking God's providence for His people and the temperate of light over darkness. In recent times, the celebration spilled from the Jewish homes and synagogues into the public arena with the inspiration of the Lubavitchi Rabbi Menachem Shenereson of blessed memory who encouraged all Jews and all humans to add and bring light to the world. Therefore, Chabad-Lubavitch sponsored public menorahs appearing in public squares, government building, shopping malls, and common areas all over the world. In Vermont alone, we kindle the menorah in Heron, Montpellier, in Burlington, South Burlington, Jericho, St. Albans, Middlebury, Manchester, Brattleboro, and Bristol. This year, due to the events in Pittsburgh and the rise in anti-Semitism, there is an added urgency to celebrate in the open at state houses and public venues all over the world. A lighting of the Chanukah menorah, in response to a letter from the Jewish Community Council of Tunik, a New Jersey Lubavitchi Rabbi of blessed memory, pending letter in which he wrote, and I quote, Experience has shown that the Chanukah menorah displayed publicly during the eight days of Chanukah has been an inspiration to many, many Jews and evoked in them a spirit of identity with the Jewish people and the Jewish way of life. To many others it has brought a sense of pride in their Judaism and the realization that there is no reason really in this free country to hide one's Jewishness as if it were contrary to the American life and culture. On the contrary, it is fully in keeping with the American national slogan for many one, and the fact that American culture has been enriched by the thriving ethnic cultures, which contributed very much each in its own very way to American life both materially and spiritually. Therefore is it our honor that we sit here in front of the state house with government officials and with a great crowd to honor and to celebrate the second night of Chanukah. We'd like to call upon a very active member of the Jewish community here in Mount Pylir and the director of the yearning to running center Toby to give some greetings. I'm not by Toby Wiseman of the yearning for learning center and director of PJ library in Vermont. I work for Jewish communities of Vermont, which is a statewide Jewish organization bringing all Jews together all over Vermont. I would like to thank sincerely thank the governor and the lieutenant governor for being here with us tonight. And it is a very big honor for us to have you here. And I'd also like to thank Rabbi Raskin and Rabbi Eliaho Unik, Rabbi Benjamin Murray and the Chabad community who has been sponsoring this menorah lighting for over about seven years and bringing the delicious latkes and donuts and donating this menorah, which is now part of the state house. I'd like to really thank the state house for welcoming, welcoming us here. They not only house the menorah, they put it up and they are inviting us for the second year inside the state house for reception. The name Hanukkah actually means rededication because we're as Rabbi Eliaho Unik just said we are commemorating the miracle of over over 2000 years ago when the Jews rededicated our Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it had been desecrated by the Seleucid Greek Army. Hanukkah also comes from the Hebrew word Chinukh, education. And our rabbis taught us over 2000 years ago not to focus on the military victory but on the spiritual victory where one cruise of pure oil was found to light the menorah and instead of one day it lasted for eight days. Hanukkah's message is universal and eternal. Hanukkah teaches that the most important thing we can teach our children and ourselves is that each person has a unique and holy light within them. And in this time of hatred and bigotry, we need to reeducate ourselves that no matter what race we are, what religion, what culture, what country we come from, we all have a holy and unique light within us and we have to make a safe space for each person to be able to express their unique light in this world. And this is the most important message we can teach our children. And if we are successful in teaching our children that each person has a unique light and each person is holy and each person needs to be able to have a safe space to express themselves, then we could experience and hopefully we will experience peace in the whole world in our day. Thank you and I'd like to thank you for always arranging this event and being on top of it. The Lubavitcha Rebbe of Bless Memory was honored starting by President Carter that his birthday be called a national education day honoring the Lubavitcha Rebbe for all his work in Jewish education. I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the governor for realizing the importance of education for all of the citizens of the United States and declaring the Rebbe's birthday this past year the 11th of Nissan as Education Day here in Vermont. I'd like to take this opportunity to call upon the Governor Phil Scott to address the gathered. Thank you very much. A little bit warmer than last year as I remember it seemed like it was about 15 degrees here so a little more palatable but good evening. And thank you all very much for being here today. I'm grateful for the opportunity to join you as we celebrate the second night of Hanukkah. This is the sixth year I believe that we've had the Manoa here at the State House. It's been a great opportunity to bring together Vermonters in solidarity and appreciation for the diverse community we all know and love and to celebrate the special holiday at the most beautiful State House in the country. Here tonight we recall Hanukkah's lessons. How any group, no matter how small, can make a big difference. That's the lesson that the Maccabees. Here how a little bit can go a long way like that small amount of oil, which is shown for eight nights. It reminds us that even when resources are limited, faith and community can help make us make the most of what we have. The books of Maccabee tell how rulers persecuted Jews who observed their faith. That's part of why it's so important to not only light the Manoa but display it for all to see. I think all Vermonters can appreciate the spirit of this tradition. Our state has a proud history of defending the rights of all Vermonters regardless of religion or background and I'm glad to celebrate that with you tonight. Vermon is also known for our deep sense of community and commitment to our neighbors. It's part of our DNA. We help each other out, go the extra mile, believe in each other and the value of every single person. During this holiday season it's important to reflect on how fortunate we really are to live in this brave little state, to live alongside so many good and decent people who in their homes and jobs, churches and synagogues give so much of themselves to others. It's important that we don't take that for granted. On that note, I want to take a moment to thank the utility crews who have been working day and night throughout our first two winter storms to restore electricity to nearly 100,000 Vermonters. As we celebrate Hanukkah here tonight, let's commit ourselves to showing gratitude for each other. Especially all the Vermonters who inspire us with kindness, dedication to their families, their compassion and optimism and their love for one another because to me that's what this season is really all about. This is especially important right now, at a time where our dialogue too often lacks the respect and civility our nation desperately needs right now and our people really deserve it. I try to live by the golden rule, do unto others as you have done unto you. It's really pretty simple in my world, treat others the way you want to be treated. Even when someone may not be extending that same courtesy to you because actually that's when it really matters most. In this time of unrest and division in our country, we must remember that our children are watching and listening and they need us as role models to show them the right way to talk to and treat each other. As well, we should remember there are many Vermont families who are less fortunate than many of us who may not look forward to this season as much as we do. We should do our part to make sure they feel the joy and spirit of the season. Take some time to donate or volunteer at a local food shelf, shelter or community kitchen. Donate to a local charity and always, always be kind to one another, leading by example goes farther than we sometimes realize. Let's also remember that we have men and women in the military who will not be home for the holidays. They're in distant lands serving our nation and protecting the values we cherish so much. Let's keep them and their families in our thoughts as we move towards the new year. And finally, let's embrace hope and promise with so much negativity in the world today. There's so many ways to get caught up in the anger and hate. Let's use this time to set the example. Let's be the example. The shining stars for others to look to and learn from because that's the Vermont way. Thank you very much for being here tonight and sharing this with me. Thank you very much. I'd like to call upon the Lieutenant Governor David Zickermann to address the assemble. Thank you. Shalom. It's an honor to be here this evening. It brings for me a lot of memories of my childhood. My father would light the candles and unfortunately after I turned 13, he was no longer there to light the candles anymore. And I remember so much of what he taught me of the culture of Judaism. And that's to make the world a better place. To make each person's day or life or moment a little brighter. To do what we each can do to improve someone else's moment in that moment. And in reflecting on the governor's remarks, I think he touched on a lot of that. And in Vermont, we are a welcoming state. And in this moment of national discord, we come together for the lighting of the candles of the menorah. We come together when there's division in the community to come up with positive solutions for everyone. We hold those values deeply in Vermonters regardless of whichever religion or non-religion background we have. It's inherent in our people. So I see tonight's lighting of the menorah as a perfect symbol of who we are in Vermont. Of lighting candles of hope, lighting candles of community, lighting candles of a better future and tomorrow for our citizens, and for folks who are not yet citizens but maybe who want to be. And as a symbol that in Vermont, we will welcome people whom others are persecuting. We will welcome people who are fleeing violence and desperate situations. And so for me tonight's lighting is both deeply personal reflecting on my childhood and deeply personal on who we are as a community. So I want to thank you for inviting me to be a part of this. It's wonderful to have everybody here to be a part of this. And I know that this night and each of the eight nights are symbols of how we feel every night and every day as citizens of this state and members of our respective communities within the state. Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to call upon Rabbi Byron Bin Yaman Morey, an emissary of the Rebbe to Middlebury as a Chabad house in Middlebury College to read a letter that the Lubavitch Rebbe addressed to Republic menorah lighting. Greetings and blessings. Hanukkah the festival of lights recalls the victory of more than 2,100 years ago of a military weak but spiritually strong Jewish people over the mighty forces of a ruthless enemy who had overrun the holy land and threatened to engulf the land and its people into darkness. The miraculous victory, culminating with the rededication of the sanctuary in Jerusalem and the rekindling of the menorah, menorah which had been desecrated and extinguished by the enemy has been celebrated annually ever since during these eight days of Hanukkah, especially by lighting the menorah, the Hanukkah menorah. Also is a symbol and message of the triumph of freedom over oppression, spirit over matter, and light over darkness. This is a timely and reassuring message for the forces of darkness are ever present in our time. Moreover, the danger does not come exclusively from outside and often works close to home in the form of insidious erosion of time-honored values and principles at other foundation of any decent human society. Needless to say, darkness cannot be chased away by brooms and sticks, but by illumination. Our sages say, a little light expels a lot of darkness. The Hanukkah lights remind us in the most obvious way that illumination begins at home with oneself and one's family by increasing and intensifying the light of Torah and mitzvahs in the everyday experience. Even as the Hanukkah lights are kindled in the glowing number of days, glowing numbers from day to day, but though it begins at home, it does not stop there, such is the nature of light, that when kindles a light for one's own benefit, it benefits all who are within the vicinity. Indeed, the Hanukkah lights are expressively meant to illuminate the outside, symbolically alluding to the duty to bring light all through those, for one reason or another, still walk in darkness. What is true of the individual is true of the nation, especially this great United States, united under God, and generously blessed by God with material as well as spiritual riches. It is surely the duty and privilege of this nation to road all the forces of light at home and abroad and in a steadily growing measure. Let us pray that the message of the Hanukkah lights will illuminate the everyday life of everyone personally and of the society at large for a brighter life in every respect, both materially and spiritually. With esteem, blessings and the spirit of Hanukkah, signed M. Shersen from the Baruch-e-Rabbi. Thank you. We have a custom after we light the menorah at home. We sit and we watch the candles burning. It is a chesedic saying that says you should listen to what the candles are telling you. I like to call upon Rabbi Raskin, the emissary of the Baruch-e-Rabbi to the state of Vermont and the senior rabbi of Burlington, Vermont for some words of inspiration. Happy Hanukkah and a special welcome to the governor and to the lieutenant governor. Thanks for coming. I just want to touch on two interesting ideas for what we heard tonight. One is when we look back in our history throughout all the times when there was the ups and downs, trouble, good times. It is very interesting when we got to Hanukkah times when it is 2100 years ago. We all know just now long ago it was 80 years to the Kristallnacht. This was clear. We're not just individual, we're a government, the Nazi regime, one after the Jewish people and others as we all know. The tragic what has happened. We're going back to Hanukkah times 2100 years ago. It's another type of war that sometimes we get lost by the other types and that was clearly against the religion. They had no problem if our ancestors stayed the way they are. The only thing they wanted just follow our customs. They came into Israel, invaded and wanted to enforce their ideas on us, the Jewish people. And they fought back and from that developed unfortunately to a war too. How did all this begin is going after us that we shouldn't be able to practice our religion. From that it developed into a war. It's interesting that generations later the founding fathers here in the United States when they created this country one of the ideas was to have freedom for religion. If you look very carefully the language is not freedom from religion but freedom for religion. That everyone should be entitled to celebrate their religion freely. There's no question that this is what's so special about this country and I would say I feel very safe here in Vermont I've been here for 35 years with my family and it's unbelievable the warmth and everyone is so nice to each other and we should only continue that way. And Hanukkah is a time that we bring in more lights and we remember this by increasing being strong in what we believe, strong in our religion and that helps us in helping each other in making this world a much better world. I mentioned before in the Rabbi's letter was a very interesting statement that light, darkness you can't get rid of with a broom. This is not dirt that you can get rid of with a broom. The only way you get rid of darkness by bringing in more light and that's what it is. And here's an amazing thing. Last night was on candle. Tonight's gonna be two and we keep on going. Somehow it stops by eight. But just to save us now, you know, imagine we have to give presents to the children every day. Imagine if Hanukkah keeps on going, you know. We're gonna have to get ten jobs, not just. So it's wonderful to all of us here. I have Hanukkah and we should be able to increase night after night, bring more joy, more warmth. And I'm Israel Chai. Happy Hanukkah. Thank you. We'd like to start with the lighting of the menorah. We'd like to ask David Fried, a very active member of the Napali or Jewish community to help out with the lighting as well as the governor or the cabinet governor. And Toby. And Toby. What is today? I think everyone could join with me together. Because I remember getting to do this.