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Together, Noa Tishby and Andy Cohen celebrated the Hanukkah festival by lighting the candle for each of the eight days of the feast. The Jewish solidarity was so strong that they even talked about a very personal matter—their kids’ upbringing with a solid Jewish identity amid the current rise of anti-Semitism—hence the holiday ritual being resistance.
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Noa Tishby, a film star and campaigning person, shared the clip of the two in the same clubhouse set. The Bravo network’s host, Cohen, was seen lighting the menorah very carefully. The conversation soon turned to very personal matters. Cohen contemplated whether it is essential to form a Jewish identity of his children, six-year-old son Ben and daughter Lucy. He narrated a lovely incident about his son creating a Jewish star and he termed it very“warming.” “Cohen said, ”Seeing him realize the ,” he is.”
Then, Tishby asked Cohen what he and the other public figures who are embracing their Jewishness had to say about how it could be perceived as an urgent need in the society’s times when it is difficult. Cohen’s answer was very appropriate. “I have not encountered such an increase of hatred which is coming up and which the mainstream circles are beginning to accept.” “So it makes me want to talk even more. That’s why I said yes to sitting with you right now,” he went on. He then made a very strong statement: “The only solution to anti-Semitism is the pride of Jews.”
The video was part of the ‘#BringOnTheLight’ series that is being done throughout the Hanukkah period during which each night a different guest will be featured. Most of the responses were very supportive and reflected people’s acceptance. One follower expressed, “Andy’s career has always been very public about his Jewishness but now he is even more so and the fact that he is exposing his kids to the Jewishness is indeed a wonderful thing.” Another user said, “You guys are the light in the darkness, thank you.”
However, behind the joy of the celebration, anxiety was visible. A comment from a non-Jewish user who expressed a general concern and that user who was different probably made the comment. “We are not Jews but we love many of them… and our hearts suffer for all those suffering and we worry. So this light, love, and joy are really great,” they said and explained how this incident went beyond that of the Jewish community.
Besides, there were some comments that were more than mere celebrations. Some people called for more direct political action from Cohen. One plea, “You have such a big platform, Andy. You need to show the loud and even violent protests…. Show the world that their chants….are dangerous and have real-life consequences!” Another person thanked him for his bravery but added in a pointed manner: “I hope you will debate with friends like Cynthia Nixon about how words have real consequences.”
Additionally, one very philosophical and possibly weary question got raised. A user bluntly asked, “I really can’t see how being proud is going to help us. Or will it just let us go through this hard period? Somebody please explain.” The answers given to this question were forceful and educational. “Because you never flee from hate – you fight it right in the center with Jewish pride,” one writer said. “Our grandparents and great-grandparents were not the Jews who died in the Holocaust; they were not the ones that we cower now.”
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The segment produced by Eighteen Productions—whose name has a significance as ‘chai’ translates to life in Hebrew—was more than just a holiday greeting. It was a public reflection on the themes of heritage, fear, and defiance. It was a somewhat solemn and purposeful appearance for Andy Cohen, a character synonymous with pop culture triviality. The act of candle lighting, a ritual that reminds of ancient resilience, was portrayed as a modern necessity. In a situation where hate speech has been normalized, the observance of Cohen and Tishby lighting a shared menorah was like a small and intentional flame fighting the darkness that is spreading around it. It was a gesture that resonated with many viewers as both reassuring and a call to remain resolute.
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