Joy and pain on display at Chanukah event in DC

By Menachem Wecker

(JNS) — At a Chanukah celebration at the Israeli embassy in Washington on Wednesday night, getting choked up while talking about the plight of the hostages was a bipartisan experience.

Both Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and John Kirby, the White House national security communications advisor, paused to compose themselves as they addressed the audience.

“For millions of Jewish men, women and children across the entire world, Chanukah is a sacred time. One where they can reflect on the ideals of Judaism and rededicate...