NORFOLK, Va — It's the holiday season for many people in Hampton Roads like Rabbi Meir Lessoff who is celebrating Hanukkah this week with his community.
Rabbi Meir says the message behind the holiday is to find peace and resilience in times of conflict.
"The whole concept of Hanukkah is light versus darkness," adds Rabbi Lessoff.
While some are celebrating with family, others say hearts are heavy because of an ongoing military and political conflict in the Middle East.
Despite this happening more than 5,000 miles away, the conflict hits close to home for some.
Sophomore Faisal Alkhatib is a Palestinian American and a student of Old Dominion University in Norfolk. He says there may be peace on Earth in other parts of the world, but not in Palestine and Israel.
Alkhatib says his loved ones living in Gaza have experienced bombing, tanks in the streets, and even persecution.
"My second cousin and his whole family had been hit by an airstrike in the impact. They were all killed along will many others who lived in that apartment complex with them," said Alkhatib.
For the last couple of months, he and other students and community members have held peaceful rallies. However, Alkhatib thinks there is some confusion among passers-by about what they are protesting.
"Our conflict is not with the Jewish people," said Alkhatib. "The people who think that is simply wrong. I'm not against the Jewish state but it should not be at the cost of human life,"
For three months, violence has been ongoing and it continues into the holidays.
Rabbi Lessoff says it's a dark period in the Middle East, where many men women, and children are experiencing violence. He says peace needs to be kept here in the United States among Jewish and Palestinian communities.
"Here in the United States, we can stay together and live together as long as each one can look beyond the conflict on the other side of the sea," said Rabbi Lessoff.
