BETTENDORF, IOWA -- On Thursday, December 26th, The Quad City Jewish community hosted a public menorah lighting and parade.
Cars with menorahs on top of cars drove through the Quad Cities before stopping at The Quad Cities Bank & Trust on Middle Road in Bettendorf to light the eight foot tall menorah.
"They were very engaged,"Rabbi Shneur Cadaner, organizer with Chabad Lubavitch of the Quad Cities said. "They were very happy. I think a lot of people it brought back good memories of traditional Hanukkah."
Participants sang traditional Hanukkah songs and ate traditional food.
Cadaner said celebrating the Jewish faith this year is more important than ever before.
"Anti semitism has been on the rise," Cadaner said. "We had the shooting in Pittsburgh, shooting in Poway, and then there was the shooting in Jersey City, that was just a few weeks ago. Our goal is to try to improve by combating the darkness with the light."
"I think this is a good way to get people to learn about other people and other cultures," participant Jim Moffit said.
The Quad Cities Jewish community has been hosting the public menorah lighting for the last 14 years.