Contributed Photo
The menorah.
SEYMOUR — The Town of Seymour has added a menorah to a holiday display at the Broad Street Park across from the community center on Pine Street.
A lighting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday, Dec. 10). This evening is the first night of Hanukkah.
Resident Jodi Gerstenhaber messaged The Valley Indy Wednesday night expressing her happiness with the town for being inclusive.
Ariel is one of the organizers of this evening’s event.
“I’m super excited to share that for the first time in the seven years we have lived in Seymour the town has put up a menorah at the green on Broad Street,” Gerstenhaber said in a post she shared with The Valley Indy. “As an interfaith family I am super excited that our children will now be able to see both sides of their family represented in the winter holiday celebrations in town.”
The town isn’t necessarily encouraging a large turnout this evening due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis will be there, along with a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.
“You do not need to be Jewish to come join us, we would love to celebrate with all of our community,” Gerstenhaber said.
Responding to an email inquiry from The Valley Indy, First Selectwoman Drugonis said this is the town’s first menorah display.
“I was contacted by Jodi she asked me to recognize the other denominations besides Christianity and I completely agreed. (I) thanked her for her thoughts and for bringing this to our attention. I believe in being inclusive, not exclusive,” the First Selectwoman said.
Click here for a great story from 2015 looking at Jewish history in the lower Naugatuck Valley.
