Boulder Jewish News
Chanukah on Pearl Draws Big, Fearless, Proud Crowd
David Fellows December 15, 2025
Blessed with clear skies and (for December) a warm evening, hundreds of celebrants turned out on Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall for the annual Grand Menorah lighting, featuring Holocaust and Boulder firebombing survivor Barbara Steinmetz as Shamash lighter. Sina Simantob read the prayers and lit the remaining two lights.
Host Boulder County Center for Judaism debuted their new and beautiful Grand Menorah, crafted by artist and rabbi Yitzchok Moully, to great acclaim. Rabbi Moully’s origins in Australia proved to be a poignant intersection with the terrorist attack on a very similar Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia barely a day earlier.
Speakers, including Jonathan Lev of the Boulder JCC, Mayor Aaron Brockett of Boulder, Rabbi Moully and Rabbi Pesach Scheiner all alluded to the attack and the solidarity and support offered Sydney by the Boulder Jewish community, who rather than be intimidated, showed up tonight in force, with a visible police presence, to celebrate Chanukah, the holiday of Dedication.