Hanukkah has already begun, and it will end just before Christmas. Here's what to know about the Jewish holiday

The occasion was a Hanukkah celebration that has been held annually for nearly three decades. But for members of the Jewish community here, the event felt different this year. It was a chance to find peace in a space that had been violently scarred six months before by a deadly firebombing attack on a demonstration supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah's eight days of light, hope and miracles with menorah lighting, traditional foods and community gatherings.

The region’s Jewish community marked the start of Hanukkah with the lighting of a five-metre-tall menorah in Waterloo Town Square on Sunday night. There was a variety of traditional food and music. Organizers acknowledged the mass shooting at a Hanukkah event in Australia and said it will not stop them from hosting an event in Waterloo.

The incident was caught on the family's home surveillance footage

A number of celebrations on Sunday marked the start of Hanukkah across Tampa Bay as the Jewish community mourned the attack that left 15 dead in Sydney, Australia.

Hanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, begins Sunday, Dec. 14. Known as the festival of lights, Hanukkah is an eight-day holiday in the Jewish faith marked by the nightly lighting of candles.

Sunday's terrorist attack on Jewish Australians in Sydney highlights the community's fears amid rising antisemitism and government inaction since Oct.7, 2023.