A group of 15 community members and city staff gathered on the front lawn of Goodyear City Hall on Wednesday, standing among holiday displays as officials evaluated new placement options for the city’s Hanukkah menorah.
After reviewing three possible sites, the group agreed the menorah should be moved to a prominent patch of rocks in front of the “Great Joy” sculpture. The group also set a plan to properly illuminate the menorah with blue up-lighting for better nighttime visibility.
The new position will place the menorah and Christmas tree on either side of the main stage, ensuring both are highly visible and ADA-accessible throughout the holiday season.
The relocation comes after several Goodyear residents urged city leaders Monday night to move the 9-foot menorah to a more visible location, saying its placement for the second consecutive year, tucked in dense landscaping and facing the parking lot rather than the public square, sent an unintended message of exclusion.
“I’m concerned that I’m not recognized, respected and valued in the city’s holiday celebrations,” resident Jill Burnham told the City Council, noting she has raised the issue for three years. “No Goodyear resident wants to be marginalized.”
Chana Zaklikofsky, a leadership member at the Chabad Jewish Center of Goodyear, said visibility is especially meaningful during Hanukkah, which runs Dec. 15–22 this year.
“The menorah is a universal symbol of light,” she said. “By displaying it in a visible, welcoming location, we affirm a message of hope, diversity and inclusion.”
Zaklikofsky also pointed to a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of menorahs displayed alongside other municipal holiday decorations, noting the symbol represents freedom, light, and community solidarity.
Residents Janet and Richard Kirshbaum said they were “appalled” to see the menorah again positioned away from other displays, despite prior conversations with city leadership.
“This is not simply a matter of aesthetics,” Janet Kirshbaum said. “It’s a matter of dignity, inclusion and equal representation. We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for the most basic standard of fairness.”
Members of the Drossos family, Shanon, Demitri and Malachi, told the council they discovered the menorah only by accident.
“It was the first time we’d ever seen it, and we just stumbled upon it,” said Demitri Drossos, adding that equal visibility is essential for residents who celebrate Hanukkah.
Council member Vickie Gillis, who attended the walkthrough, apologized to residents for the menorah’s initial placement.
“I was under the impression it wouldn’t be put where it was again,” Gillis said, recalling last year’s concerns over the display. “There were no lights, and it was sitting out in the weeds, as you called it. I’m sorry you had to come here and go through this because you shouldn’t have had to. Inclusion, whether Christian, Jewish, whatever population, should always be part of this.”
The group left the morning meeting enthusiastic about the change, and looking forward to the city’s coming holiday events where the landscape has been redesigned to make everyone feel included.
James Goldmeer Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English.
Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.
Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here