 Happy Hanukkah everyone, happy Hanukkah! Let's gather around over here to make a semi-circle. Happy Hanukkah everyone, happy Hanukkah! It is wonderful to see all of you gathered here to celebrate Hanukkah at the State Capitol. It is an honor to be here with the Governor today, with the Chief Justice Ryber and Justice Kohn and all of you. Our sages encourage us to pray for the peace of the government. Let us begin with gratitude to the Almighty for the blessings bestowed upon the United States. As George Washington wrote to the Jewish community in Newport, May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other inhabitants, while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. Despite the alarming rise in antisemitism, America has remained steadfast in fulfilling its promise. The Jewish people enjoy protection and safety under the law, making the United States an unparalleled haven for Jews. Never before, and I repeat, never before has there been a country as secure for the Jewish community as the United States. For this we extend our heartfelt thanks to its leaders, especially the Governor of this great state. Today, we do not gather to lament the challenges that afflict us, but rather this assembly is a celebration of our freedom and the privilege to openly express our Jewish pride together. Over 2000 years ago, the Greeks sought to suppress the freedom of our religion, yet the Jewish people resisted. Despite being outnumbered and weaker, they tripled over an army which was greater and stronger. They rededicated the temple, but as sure as a loyal to light the menorah presented a challenge. In a miraculous turn of events, the small jug of oil intended to last for one day, miraculously illuminated the temple for eight days, until a fresh supply could be obtained. To commemorate this miracle, we kindle our own menorahs for these eight days, symbolizing the enduring spirit of perseverance and the miraculous triumph of light over darkness. The widespread Jewish tradition is for every member of each household to kindle their own menorah each night of Chanukah. This is interesting because by the strict mandate of Jewish law, one menorah per household is enough to fulfill the mitzvah or requirement. The message here is a powerful one. In this struggle against darkness, there is no standing on the sidelines. Chanukah reminds us that it takes all of us, each shining our light, to truly make this world a brighter and better place. Even if everyone around you is shining their light, don't for a second think that your light is extra. Don't doubt the power of an individual to make a difference. Sometimes we tend to delegate our voices to others, to celebrities, to elected officials, to political parties. But let us remember that each of us is endowed with the unique and unmatched ability to contribute to the world. And Chanukah is that call to action. Shine your light. Be that person who sees their lonely neighbor. Be that person who recognizes their neighbor's addiction. Be that person who knows that he or she can change that person's life. That we can imbue that person's life with meaning and light their soul. That small jug of oil, we all have it. We just need to be someone's fire. I would like to start off by inviting the director of JCVT and one of the organizers of this event, Tobi Weisman, to share with us a few words. Happy Chanukah everybody. It's so wonderful to see everybody here. And it's wonderful that it's not a very, very cold night like usual. Or a snowstorm. I would like to sincerely thank Governor Phil Scott. Vermont Supreme Court Justices Bill Cohen. And Chief Justice Ryber. The Mayor of my Peelier, Jack McCullough. And the entire State House staff are welcoming the Jewish community tonight to the State House on the sixth night of Chanukah. I would also like to thank Rabbi Yitzchak Raskin and Rabbi Eliahou Unik. And Dresi Unik. And Chabadah Vermont for all that you do for the Jewish community in Vermont every single day. And for all the delicious Chanukah food we're about to taste. During the darkest days of the year, Chanukah comes to shine a light in the darkness. Chanukah means both dedication and education. Our sages teach us not to focus on the miraculous military victory, but on the spiritual one. Where one cruise of pure oil was found to light the menorah in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. And instead of lasting for one day, it lasted for eight days. What is the main message that we need to dedicate ourselves to when we're teaching our children about any other about Chanukah? The most important message about Chanukah is that the hidden oil that was found over 2,000 years ago in the temple in Jerusalem represents our light, our light that's hidden inside of us, the Orhaga News. Each one of us has an infinite light that is unique and pure and that never existed before. We all need to be able to find and shine our own unique light into the world. That's the only, we're the only ones that can shine this unique light. And our sages teach us that just like the flame does not diminish when it lights another candle, our light only grows when we help another person's unique light to shine. Rabbi Shlomo Karlbach says, what is utter darkness? What is the utter darkness of the soul? And he says the deepest darkness is the thought that I am totally alone. Being a Jew today can feel very lonely, especially in the past few months. But we are heartened tonight to be lighting the menorah and celebrating Chanukah with the governor and the Statehouse staff and our other allies who are here with us. We know that we are not alone. You are giving us the strength and the courage to shine our own unique light into the world. We are also aware that there are many people in our communities who can't shine their light and they are feeling very alone. So we need to help to find the hidden light within each person and within each other and be like the Shamash, the middle candle, the one that lights all the other candles in the menorah. We need to help each person find their hidden light and lift them up so that they too can share their unique light. So as we light the menorah tonight and on each and every night of Chanukah, let us see the light reflected in ourselves and in each other and help to lift each other up so that we can all shine our light even stronger. Let us visualize a time when every person will be able to shine their light, creating a time of peace and harmony for all people throughout the world. Thank you. We're honored to have here two justices on the Supreme Court of Vermont. We're honored to call up Chief Justice Ryber to share with us a few words. Thank you, Rabbi. Thank you very much, Rabbi, and happy Hanukkah to every one of you. It's a pleasure and an honor to be here. Is that working all right? Yeah. The Rabbi, where's the diminutive Rabbi? What's your name again? I'm sorry. Rabbi Toby, I just said it was a pleasure to have allies here. I'm not sure I've ever been referred to as an ally, Rabbi, but I like the term. I think it works particularly well for what it is that the courts stand for, what our Constitution says about honesty and justice and the essential human dignity of every person. So I appreciate the reference and certainly warmly accept it as I do the opportunity to say a few words here this evening to all of you. So thank you very much and happy Hanukkah. Thank you. I am privileged to invite for the second year in a row. We're almost making this an annual tradition. A justice code to address the assembled. Good evening, Governor, Chief Justice, distinguished guests, rabbis and the entire Vermont community. I'm greatly honored to be here tonight to witness the public place, the lighting of the menorah. We should be reminded of the message of Hanukkah as the triumph of light, necessity for warmth and the need to celebrate community by coming together in a time when division seems like a reoccurring theme. It is important to note Vermont's motto of freedom and unity as being a powerful message for the entire world to see. Freedom that allows us to light the menorah here in a public place, in a public forum as part of a celebration sponsored by the state of Vermont. This serves as a message of hope for all religions and for all people regardless of the skin color, national origin, race or ethnicity, or all are welcome here, welcome to live, worship, and this is a peaceful environment that provides safety for our friends, safety for our families. This gathering is a strong message of unity. Unity in this state allows great inclusion. Hanukkah is a holiday of hope and dedication, but it's impossible not to be mindful of suffering. Suffering that even has arrived in this great state with the census shooting of three college students walking to join their family on the holiday. And Hanukkah is not just about the remembrance of the past. It's also a reminder of the shared commitment to create a brighter future together for many generations, many of the light help inspire to connect all of our communities in the way it is in the Vermont tradition. Thank you, and so again, I'm honored to be here with you all. Thank you. I'm honored to call upon the senior rabbi in this state for over 40 years and the pioneer of public menorah lightings in this state by the behest of the Lubavitcher rabbi of blessed memory, Rabbi Roskin, to address us with a few words. And happy Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah. Governor and Chief Justice, Justice Kahn, and the mayor and all the rabbis. It is 50 years ago that the Lubavitcher rabbi, Rabbi Schneersen, came up with this idea of public menorah to light it in the public, and he connected it very much with the idea of what the founding fathers had, especially here for the United States, the idea of freedom that each person is entitled to celebrate according to what they believe, and no one should interfere, because this is what this holiday is. Hanukkah, if you go back to 2100 years ago, this is when the Greeks and the Syrians invaded Israel, and they wanted to force the Jewish people, our ancestor, to, with their religion. They didn't want them to be observant, to keep their Judaism. They didn't mind, it wasn't like other times where they wanted to kill them physically. No, well they didn't want them that they should keep their tradition, so they instituted many things against what the Torah tells us. Just to give you a simple example, they didn't want that they should circumcise the children, they didn't want them to keep the Sabbath, and also they didn't want them to keep a Jewish calendar, but they fought back until it came to the miracle of the oil. So even though we know there was a big victory, the military victory, but the emphasis of Hanukkah is more on the holiday of the oil, the holiday that they couldn't find the oil and it was not enough even for one day and expanded to eight days. So here's something very interesting, a few quick lessons. Number one, we light it at night. In the temple, which was originally, it was during the day. Here the mitzvah is to light it when after dark. This is to teach us that this is the message of Hanukkah. The message of Hanukkah is to light the darkness. To light the darkness. And the rabbi, the Lubahim Chelebi once said, darkness, you don't get rid of darkness with a broom. How do you get rid of darkness by bringing in more light? And that is the positive, that this is a universal message for everyone, that we all increase more light. And here's something very interesting. Tonight is the sixth night of Hanukkah. So we began the first night, the second night was two, then the third night three, and tonight we're gonna light six. What is the idea? Every day we add on more. We don't get stuck in one place. We keep on moving, adding on, adding on and doing more things. And by everyone, all of us together, we do the right thing. We light the darkness. And we are nice to each other. That will bring more peace into this world. And very soon we'll see the ultimate, the ultimate goodness in this world in front of our eyes. Happy Hanukkah to everyone. Before we hear from the governor, we are honored here to have a group of children from Vermont's only Jewish day school in Burlington, Vermont, called the Tamim Academy. We'd like to call up the children here to sing a Hanukkah song. Okay, we were asked to postpone it for just a few minutes. I have the honor to invite the governor of this great state, Phil Scott, to address us. The governor has been so gracious to open up the state capitol to this menorah-lighting Hanukkah gathering. And since last year, he's read a story for the children as well inside together with the celebration of latkes and donuts. We'd like to call up Phil Scott. And if you, and otherwise known, since a latest poll, America's most popular governor. Well, good evening, everyone. And thank you very much for having me. You won't be hearing any Hanukkah song from me. That would be a benefit for you. It's nice to be here once again to celebrate this special holiday. Lighting the menorah here at the state house has always been a great opportunity to come together to appreciate the diverse communities across Vermont and celebrate the blessings of the past year. I believe Hanukkah's lessons and values can resonate with many of us when things seem tough and no end seems in sight. Faith and community can push us through even in the darkest of times. Hanukkah is a reminder that there is always a light shining no matter how dark things become. And that message is especially important right now during these difficult times with hate and anti-semitism on the rise throughout the world and unfortunately, even here in our beautiful state. But we cannot let it go unchecked. We must come together and support one another as human beings. And I believe the holiday season gives us all an opportunity to do just that. Give back and show there is so much more that unites us than divides us. With so much violence, division and conflict across the globe, stepping up and supporting your community is one of the best ways to do your part and add to the good that I know still exists. We all have an opportunity to make the world a better place with everyday acts of kindness and goodwill because at the end of the day no matter how big or small these acts all add up. This holiday season I hope everyone can use the spirit of giving to help rebuild our sense of community. Let's challenge ourselves to not only be better people but be better role models and add light to our communities in our own way. So again, I thank you so much for having me once again this year and happy Hanukkah to all of you. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Governor for his excellent leadership, especially during these challenging times. His presence and support for the Jewish community are truly appreciated. Let's give it to the Governor. I'd like to call upon Justice Kohn to kindle the menorah. If you have a song sheet the blessings are on your song sheet. So if you see somebody with a song sheet you can gather around them. Let me introduce a few representatives from Tamim Academy to sing two Hanukkah songs for us and if you know it you can sing along. Thank you. Before we go to the Song Maos tour we'd like to thank the organizers of this event, David Schitz and Kate Eberle. Thank you very much for all the help and all the meetings to make this event a great event. We'd ask everyone to sing together the traditional Hanukkah song Ma for joining us. Everyone's invited to go I think around the building to the side. The front door is open to go to the... We're going to the Governor's office to hear the stories and the cafeteria for the second floor. To go to the second floor the Governor will be reading a story for the children and the adults and there will be latkes, donuts and the cafeteria. Thank you all for coming. In the cafeteria there are people who take a book or two and if you don't know about the program P.J. Library you can talk to me. It's a gift of books for children each month. Good evening everyone. How many know? How many have seen Hanukkah Bear? Have you heard it before? No? Come around come as close as you want. I'll try and speak up as well. Full Bear awoke from his winter sleep. He picked focused nose outside the den. What was that? Something to eat. Old Bear's empty stomach rumbled. He shook himself all over then lumbered out of his den to follow the delicious smell. Bubba Braina made the best potato latke from the pan and put it in the oven with the others. Bubba Braina was 97 years old. They did not hear or see as well as she used to but she still made the best potato latkes in the village. Every year in Hanukkah all her friends came to her house on the edge of the forest how they love those latkes. Bubba Braina always made plenty but tonight she made twice as many as usual. Tonight was special. Tonight the rabbi was coming. Bubba Braina hurry to get ready just then she heard a thump on the door. She opened it Rabbi you're here early how nice to see you grrr groud old bear happy Hanukkah to you too please come in old bear walked into the house I'll take your coat Rabbi my how thick it is Bubba Braina tugged at old bear's fur old bear roared grrr oh you want to keep your coat on well that's alright it is chilly in here old bear's nose twitch grrr thank you Rabbi how kind of you to say that the latkes will taste even better than they smell old bear followed his nose to the oven Rabbi I'm surprised at you you know we don't eat until we light the menorah grrr well that's alright I know you were teasing I'll light the candles will you say the blessings grrr Bubba Braina struck a match and lit the shamus candle then she lit the one for the first night old bear muttered and growled grrr who has kept us alive sustained us and enabled us to reach this season oh Rabbi you say the blessings so beautifully Bubba Braina sat down at the table old bear sat beside her let's play bridal we'll use these nuts old bear cracked one with his teeth Rabbi you won't have any nuts for the game eat them grrr growled old bear don't worry I have plenty of nuts if you need more Bubba Braina spun the bridal it stopped on my letter gimble I win Bubba Braina swept the nuts into her apron grrr old bear don't be angry Rabbi this is only a game she tossed them a nut old bear begged for more no Rabbi no more nuts it's time for dinner Bubba Braina opened the oven door and took out a platter piled high with steaming potato latkes old bear sniffed the latkes as she set them on the table do you prefer sour cream or jam Bubba Braina asked grrr old bear growled jam I thought so Bubba Braina smeared five big latkes with jam and stacked them on old bear's plate old bear gobbled them all down Bubba Braina laughed you should use a fork you have jam all over your beard she wet a towel and wiped old bear's face I must tell you Rabbi you eat like a bear grrr I'm hungry like a bear so I eat like one I can see that Bubba Braina said old bear ate and ate until the latkes were all gone he felt drowsy his head flopped on Bubba Braina's lap Rabbi you're sleepy why wouldn't be sleepy who wouldn't be sleepy after such a meal all the latkes are gone it's time to go home but before you leave I have a Hanukkah present for you Bubba Braina took a red scarf from her nick living basket she wrapped it around old bear's neck I made it myself grrr old bear licked Bubba Braina's face Bubba Braina blushed oh Rabbi at my age the bear shuffled to the door grrr he growled as he walked off into the night good night to you too Rabbi happy Hanukkah Bubba Braina was watching dishes when she heard another knock I wonder who that is Shalom Bubba Braina all her friends stood at the door wishing her a happy Hanukkah Shalom everybody Bubba Braina said how nice to see you I'm sorry I don't have any more latkes the Rabbi came by he ate them all Bubba Braina don't you recognize me it was the Rabbi the Rabbi couldn't have eaten your latkes everyone said he's been with us in the synagogue Bubba Braina rubbed your forehead something strange is happening Rabbi I think there is a posture going around he looks like you he talks like you he even has your beard just then the children cried look at the floor bear tracks a bear I thought it was the Rabbi Bubba Braina Bubba Braina had to sit down soon she began to giggle that was a very clever bear for a very foolish Bubba Braina oh well let the bear have a happy Hanukkah I had a happy Hanukkah so you will too my dear friends bring some potatoes from the cellar that's my greater and bowl everyone has to help you too Rabbi if we all work together we'll soon have latkes for everyone deep in the forest old bear slumbered in his den his stomach was full of potato latkes the warm wooden scarf was wrapped snugly around his neck pleasant dreams old bear and happy happy Hanukkah that's it