Van Jones, CNN commentator and former special advisor for former US president Barack Obama, joined Israeli influencer and actress Noa Tishby on Sunday to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah.
Tishby collaborated with various celebrities on the previous nights of Hanukkah. So far, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis, Mayim Bialik, and Iliza Shlesinger have joined the Israeli actress for the first four nights of the festival.
“There’s not enough darkness in the whole universe to black out the light from a single candle.” @VanJones68 joins me to light his first-ever Hanukkah candle. We talked about the powerful bond between the Black and Jewish communities and the importance of showing up for one… pic.twitter.com/rRM1w2lMi0
— Noa Tishby (@noatishby) December 29, 2024
“The story of Hanukkah is about fighting for religious freedom against a foreign occupier in the Holy Land,” Tishby discussed with Jones, relating historic biblical events to the current war in Israel and rising global antisemitism.
Jones, a Christian who had never celebrated Hanukkah before, spoke about the shared historical struggles between Black Americans and the Jewish community, as well as his appreciation for the perseverance of Jews in never abandoning their faith even in difficult times.
“There’s not enough darkness in the whole universe to black out the light from a single candle,” Jones said, quoting a saying from his community.
Tishby concluded by lighting a menorah made by her son at five years old and encouraged her followers to invite non-Jewish friends to participate in Hanukkah celebrations, highlighting the themes of unity, strength, and resilience.
Support for Jews, Israel
In June, Jones had slammed a violent anti-Israeli riot that took place outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles in a discussion broadcasted on CNN.
"You don't bum-rush a Jewish neighborhood and run up on a synagogue. That's not protesting a policy that's protesting a people," Jones said.
"That is not a protest. That's a pogrom. And that has to stop," he continued. "I haven't seen Jewish people running up on mosques with Israeli flags. If they did that, I'd be denouncing that too."
In November of 2023, a month after the October 7 attacks on Israel, Jones joined a lineup of prominent pro-Israel figures to speak at the March for Israel rally in Washington, DC, at the National Mall.
Close to 300,000 demonstrators gathered at the event in DC to demand the release of hostages under Hamas captivity and demonstrate their determination to combat the increasing levels of antisemitism since October 7.