Nets honor Australia Hanukkah attack victims, light menorah during game

The Brooklyn Nets paid tribute to the victims of the Sydney Hanukkah massacre in a Hanukkah celebration at the Barclays Center during the team’s game against the Miami Heat on Thursday night. 

As part of the event, a giant basketball menorah was lit during the game by the 14-year-old nephew of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in the Sydney massacre last week. The ceremony was facilitated by the Chabad Teen Network, the world’s largest teen organization. 

Fox News Digital spoke with Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of Chabad World Headquarters, who would have attended the menorah lighting at the Barclays Center Thursday, but instead booked a one-way ticket to Australia to be with the victims' families. Kotlarsky said the Nets recognizing Hanukkah and celebrating Jewish heritage is one of the things that "makes America great."

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"I think that it is really, really incredible to see America in its whole glory, where it stands for what we believe in. And we celebrate our ideals and our traditions, and our holidays, and it’s supported by the Nets, which is an incredible franchise," Kotlarsky said.

"To be able to recognize and give a voice to many teens who might not be in a Jewish school or might not be in a Jewish (ChaBad), to celebrate their heritage proudly is one of the things that makes America great. One of the things that makes sports, the tool and the vessel that it is, to cross the aisles and empower young people to be proud of who they are."

The Nets have two Jewish players on their team, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf, and Kotlarsky said they are inspiring the youth, showing them that they can follow their dreams without compromising their values. 

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"People see that no matter where you come from and where your humble beginnings are, you can still be proud of who you are and make it to the top, and you're celebrated for who (you are). I think the key message, about the whole holiday, is one that we celebrate proudly, that light has infinitely more power than darkness and to have them on the team to be able to say, ‘You're passionate about basketball, and you can make it," Kotlarsky said.

"You can celebrate who you are."

Kotlarsky said his trip to Australia is about making sure the Jewish community, who is dealing with a lot "pain, hurt, loss and shock," will come out of this bigger, stronger and better. He said they are looking to do a last-minute Hanukkah celebration on Sunday on the same beach where 16 people were killed. 

"You can’t understand why things happen and how people could be so evil and kill for such things but at the same time it brings out so much more in what we believe," Kotlarsky said. 

"Like the Hannukkah message, when you squeeze an olive oil comes out. When you squeeze people you get to see their real essence and who they are and hope that beautiful stuff comes out."

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