The Walt Disney Company has continued to show its support for Hanukkah amid a trend of public events for the Jewish holiday being canceled.
Newsweek previously reported on the 2nd Sundays Art and Music Festival’s decision to cancel a planned menorah lighting event in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Sunday, which will be the fourth night of the annual Jewish “Festival of Lights.” The event’s founder, Shirley Vermillion, said the plan “seemed very inappropriate” given the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, and did not want people “feeling like we are siding with a group over the other,” stressing that they have worked to avoid religious affiliation in the past.
Elsewhere, the Jewish community in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, expressed disappointment after the mayor’s office opted against displaying a menorah outside of city hall, a tradition that the city has observed for 20 years. In a statement, members of the community wrote that they “have met the mayor to explain that this decision is unfair and hurts profoundly the Jewish population of Moncton.”
Such instances come amid the rising tides of antisemitism and Islamophobia being reported by Jewish and Muslim people worldwide in the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The conflict began after an October 7 attack on Israel by the group claimed around 1,200 lives, according to the Associated Press, with the ensuing retaliatory strikes in Gaza by the Israeli military killing upwards of 13,000 people.
A Hanukkah celebration is seen. The Walt Disney Company has continued to show support for Jewish holiday as various public events have been canceled. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Amid these tensions, the Walt Disney Company has maintained plans to commemorate Hanukkah at its popular theme parks. At Florida’s Disney World, a costumed storyteller is set to take guests through various Hanukkah traditions at Epcot Center, while a nearby kitchen will serve traditional Jewish foods.
“Witness a storyteller recount traveling abroad to explore the diverse music and traditions of Hanukkah around the world,” the company’s official website explains.
At Disneyland in California, similar Hanukkah-themed activities will be offered during the park’s Festival of Holidays, an annual multicultural event at both parks that feature celebrations of Christmas as it is celebrated in numerous countries and the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa. Both parks will also be selling a range of Hanukkah-based merchandise.
Reaffirming this support on Monday, the company shared a child-friendly video to its Disney Junior YouTube account, featuring mascot Mickey Mouse explaining Hanukkah traditions and prompting young viewers to play a game of dreidel with him.
Newsweek reached out to the Walt Disney Company via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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