Dariel Fernandez, tax collector for Miami-Dade County in Florida, said that his office would continue to light a menorah on Chanukah after a vandal knocked the candelabrum over on Monday after the office’s first Chanukah celebration.
“The sacred symbol was knocked over and its bulbs ripped from their sockets in an act that has no place in Miami-Dade County and no place in a civilized society,” Fernandez’s office said on Tuesday.
“When someone tries to bring down light, our responsibility is to raise it even higher,” he stated. “To every Jewish family in our community, we stand with you, we support you and we will always defend dignity, respect and freedom of faith.”
His office added that the “tradition of lighting the menorah at the tax collector’s office will continue stronger than ever.”
Police reportedly arrested Nicholas Eichorst, 46, for allegedly vandalizing the menorah.
Zuri Siso, the Israeli consul general in Miami, stated that the consulate condemns the vandalism “unequivocally.” Siso also thanked law enforcement and Fernandez for his “stance against hate and his steadfast support for the Jewish community.”
The consul added that so soon after the antisemitic attack in Sydney on Chanukah, “this act is a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of unchecked antisemitism.”
