A weekend of violence swept the globe, capped by another brutal attack on Jews — this time on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. A father-and-son team of gunmen killed at least 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor, as families gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.

A celebration to spread “joy and light” descended into horror and darkness. Officials confirm the massacre, which injured at least 40 others, deliberately targeted the local Jewish community.

The carnage recalls this summer’s firebombing in Boulder targeting Jewish marchers advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas and this fall’s Yom Kippur terrorist attack on a British synagogue. It follows the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust on Oct. 7, 2023 — which similarly began with the slaughter and hostage-taking of innocents at a music festival for peace.

As Hanukkah begins, it stands as yet another grim reminder of the vile scourge of antisemitism spreading across Colorado, the United States and the world.

Since Oct. 7, antisemitism has erupted openly on the Left — often excused, minimized or shielded through political language. Now, it’s increasingly surfacing on the Right as well.

From ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson platforming neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes to podcaster Candace Owens spewing conspiracy theories tying Israel to the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, antisemitism is finding larger audiences. They reject the “antisemitic” label, insisting they merely criticize Israel. But their actions mirror the same Jew-hatred long disguised on the Left — masked behind political language rather than open slurs.

Take the Egyptian illegal immigrant who firebombed the peaceful rally on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. He claimed the attack had “nothing to do” with Jews but about a “Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine).” Boulder City Councilwoman Taishya Adams likewise framed the terrorist’s goal as simply “ending Zionism.”

Those who cloak their antisemitism in “anti-Zionism,” like ousted former Denver state Rep. Elizabeth Epps, frequently accuse Israel of being a “genocidal” and “settler-colonial” state — erasing Jewish history to rationalize their hostility.

“There has been a continuous Jewish presence in the land of Israel since at least the 1100s BCE,” Rabbi Jonathan Hausman, hailing from Massachusetts, told me on KOA radio. “One can argue that there’s been a Jewish presence in the land of Israel for 4,000 years.”

Let’s be clear: “Anti-Zionism” is simply political cover for hatred and violence against Jews.

“Anti-Zionism doesn’t exist,” said Rabbi Avraham Mintz of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Metro Denver. Those fixated on Israel rarely show the same outrage toward atrocities in other countries. Instead, Israel — “the one that’s simply trying to defend itself” — gets singular attention.

Here’s the tell: Israel has ended its wide-scale war of self-defense in Gaza under the October agreement brokered by the Trump administration. Yet antisemitism hasn’t declined. The massacre on Bondi Beach is the latest proof.

Fortunately, such darkness always offers the chance to shine brighter — as demonstrated by the man who heroically tackled one of the shooters at Bondi Beach.

“We each have the ability to stand strong and proud and bring more light and recognize that we cannot settle for anything, or any evil, for any darkness,” Denver Rabbi Shmuly Engel said at a weekend menorah lighting in Cherry Creek. “We have to push forward and be proud of who we are.”

As Hanukkah leads into Christmas, we are presented with a wonderful opportunity to unite behind the good and righteous — and to rededicate ourselves against antisemitism in all its forms.

That idea of rededication lies at the heart of Hanukkah. Although it’s known as the Festival of Lights, the word literally means “dedication,” commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after it was recaptured from the Seleucid Greeks. Hanukkah was born in strife — a defining chapter in the millennia-old Jewish story of survival.

In the second century BC, the Seleucid Greeks sought to force Jews to abandon their faith and traditions. “A priestly family, the Maccabees — outnumbered and poorly armed — gathered followers around them,” Hausman explained.

Against all odds, the Maccabees defeated the era’s mightiest army and drove the Seleucid Greeks from the land of Israel. “They reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of God,” Hausman said. Inside, the Maccabees discovered a single uncontaminated cruse of oil with enough to light the menorah for only one day.

Miraculously, the story goes, it lasted for eight days until new oil could be properly prepared. To this day, it endures as a symbol of the resilience and fortitude of the Jewish people. But in today’s world, they should not have to stand alone.

When Boulder’s City Council condemned the firebombing — over Councilwoman Adams’ objections — it showed long-overdue moral clarity. When Democratic voters ousted Elisabeth Epps from the House, it was a welcome reaffirmation of common decency. And as antisemitism rises on the Right, conservatives must be equally willing to cast out their demons.

Antisemitism is not a partisan problem. It’s a test of human decency. As the light of Hanukkah spreads and begins the holiday season, we are all called to rededicate ourselves to defending what is good, what is right and what is true.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.