As the holiday season beings this evening with the first night of Hanukkah, I would like to take this opportunity to look back at the past year and give thanks for all we have accomplished and all of the tireless work we each put in every day to make our community a better place. We are laying a solid foundation upon which to build an ever greater community, increasingly diverse and strong.

 

To those beginning their holiday celebrations tonight, you know that Hanukkah celebrates the triumph of right over might, the victory of a cohesive band of activists who triumphed over tyranny and aggression. This lesson resonates for us today as we join together to make our community a better place. May light, joy and hope increase with every candle in your menorah, as you celebrate with friends and family. I am hopeful for the future, knowing that while there is still much to accomplish, we will follow the lessons of Hanukkah in fighting through adversity to achieve great things.

 

And on this historic confluence of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, may we all be grateful for what we have, and may we rededicate ourselves to drawing strength from one another so we can face any challenge united.

Thank you all and have a happy Hanukkah!

Sincerely,

Ydanis Rodriguez,

Council Member, Northern Manhattan