In front of the statue of Marianne at Place de la République in Paris stood a large nine-branched menorah, lit by Jews during the Hanukkah holiday. Perched on a lift, a young man waited to be raised to the top of the structure to light two candles. The ceremony takes place every year in several neighborhoods across the capital. On Monday evening, December 15, the second night of the eight-day Festival of Lights, around 100 people turned out for the installation and to applaud the candle lighting. The day before, in Sydney, Australia, a Hanukkah gathering had been the target of a terrorist attack that killed 15 people.

This year, for those gathered to honor tradition in Paris, the event took on a particular significance: It was also a moment to pay tribute to the victims.

Amid the crowd, police officers patrolled; a bit further away, three riot police vans were parked. Wearing a beanie and sporting a beard, Eyal, a 25-year-old engineer, looked around. “We always know that something can happen when there’s a public Jewish community event, but I trust the police. When they’re not there, I still feel a little anxious,” said the young man, who did not wish to give his last name. Like others, he came for the victims of the Sydney attack. “Without this tragedy, I would have lit the candles in private, but tonight, I had to be here,” he said.

His emotion, as that of many members of the Jewish community in France, was palpable. Even though the attack happened on the other side of the world, all felt affected. All said they sometimes feel threatened.

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