Bethel Readies to Light Menorah as Part of Holiday Display

BETHEL, CT — The Board of Selectmen has approved all five applications for holiday displays in P.T. Barnum Square this year.

The Christmas Nativity scene, a Bethel holiday town square staple for decades, and the atheist banner that debuted in 2018, will be joined this year by a six-foot menorah in celebration of Hanukkah; a banner heralding HumanLight, a secular humanist holiday first celebrated in 2001; and another banner that simply reads "peace," the Board decided Tuesday. The displays may occupy the P.T. Barnum Square from Nov. 25 through Jan 7.

Bill Hillman, who ran a successful GoFundMe campaign earlier this year to pay for a six-foot candelabra to represent Hanukkah and the Jewish faith in the square this December, is understandably relieved. It's been a long trip to get this far.

"In the end, I'm on the square, and that's what I wanted," The IBM data scientist said.

Although the menorah will take its place with the rest of the displays throughout the season of holidays, Hillman says the enormous candelabra won't be lit until Dec. 22, the first night of Hanukkah, in keeping with Jewish tradition.

Hillman describes the menorah as "sort of an add-on to the nativity display," saying he is working with Bethel United Methodist Church. "I told them, 'I want absolutely no controversy, I just want to be joined at the hip with you guys.' And it's worked out very well."

Hillman say he has purchased 50 tin menorahs and 50 boxes of Hanukkah candles which he will be giving out with dreidels, for people who wish to light the menorah with him that night. In the celebration that will follow, expect to hear lots of klezmer music.

Also expect the unexpected.

When he was making the preparations, Hillman realized that, this year, the first night of Hanukkah fell on the winter solstice. That gave him the idea to reach out to what he describes as "a fairly sizable group of pagans in Bethel, who have never been recognized or represented" and invite them to the party.

"I said, look, I've got the application approved for use of the square, I'd like to share the square, let's do something as a joint celebration," Hillman told Patch.

Hillman met with local pagan leaders at local coffee house Molten Java to cement the agenda for the ecumenical celebration.

"So after the candle lighting for the Hanukkah menorah, there will be some musical selections that are klezmer style," Hillman said. "Then at some point in the presentation we will be switching off from Hanukkah songs to a yuletide song."

Hillman has been a champion of religious inclusivity in the town square since before the atheist banner was initially rejected by Bethel on the basis that the application was missing an insurance form and an image of the display. Things got nasty when The American Atheists Legal Center got involved, accusing the town of using religion to abridge the rights of the atheist applicant, James Naddeo.

"After last year's controversy, I really want to bring things together. We have the Nativity for Christmas, my holiday, and now another tradition that's very ancient, and very meaningful to a part of Bethel that has never gotten public recognition before," Hillman said.

"I don't want anyone to say, 'Oh, these are pagans!' No, these are neighbors of ours, we see them at Molten Java, we see them every day, these are beautiful people they just hold to a set of traditions that are a little bit different than a lot of people are used to hearing about."

Hillman realizes that his extending a mistletoe branch to Bethel's pagan community may not sit well with some residents, and he expressed his hope they will keep their objections to themselves.

"What I don't want is any negativity," Hillman said. "This is supposed to be light, adding to more light, and all a positive thing to bring people together."

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