Night of triumph: Crowd cheers lighting of sand-sculpted menorah during Hanukkah on Juno Beach

JUNO BEACH — Hundreds of people danced, sang and lit sparklers as they watched candles flicker on a sand-sculpted menorah by the Juno Beach Pier on Thursday.

It was a night of triumph. Vandals destroyed a similar sculpture on the beach last year.

Members of the Jewish Community Synagogue in North Palm Beach, who commission an artist to mold a sculpture of a menorah in the sand every Hanukkah, say the vandalism won’t stop the tradition.

“In the face of darkness, we gather not in the safety of our homes, but out here in the open,” said Rabbi Leib Ezagui before the candle lighting. “Under the vast canopy of the dark sky, we kindle the Hanukkah lights, each flame a power against the night.”

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Artists with Team Sandtastic — the same company that crafts Sandi, West Palm Beach’s Christmas tree of sand — took five hours to build the 5-foot menorah with three tons of sand, Ezagui said.

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The sculpture was built on Hanukkah’s second night as not to conflict with Christmas Day on Wednesday. There is no official security plan for the sculpture, but about a dozen people offered to stand guard outside it, Leib said.

“The community came back in a bigger, stronger way last year,” Ezagui said. “We hope this little thing we do on the beach can bring people of all backgrounds and all faiths together to bring some more light and morals into the world.”

The sand menorah attracted a crowd of about 400 people, including Palm Beach County Mayor Maria Marino, who represents north county, and Commissioner Maria Sachs. The event also featured a DJ and a fire-juggling show.

Artists added final touches to the sculpture — which this year included “peace & love” on the front — as onlookers trickled in, some gasping at the hazy pink sunset sky backdrop.

One was Jodi Stahl, who also attended last year’s event after the sculpture was rebuilt. She said Thursday night was a stark contrast to the windy and rainy conditions at last year’s event.

“Antisemitism is happening all around the world, so it’s important to be here,” said Stahl, 54, who lives in Jupiter. “Who knows what’s going to happen in the next few days? (Vandalism) could happen again. Every single day, it’s a worry.”

One woman from Palm Beach Gardens stood toward the back of the crowd, rocking her 1-year-old son to sleep. She said the awareness of last year’s vandalism might prevent it from happening again.

“You have to hope that there are consequences that people are worried about,” said Sarrah B., who asked not to include her last name. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t escalate.”

Ira Jacobson, a member of Jewish Community Synagogue and the Florida director of Herut, a nonprofit that supports Israel, said he isn’t worried about future vandalism.

“They keep attacking, and we keep coming back,” Jacobson said. “They can’t keep us down. Every time they try to hurt us, we come back stronger.”

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Sand menorah lighting ceremony during Hanukkah returns to Juno Beach

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