Nets honor Australia Hanukkah attack victims, light menorah during game

NEW YORK – The Brooklyn Nets paid tribute to the victims of the Sydney Hanukkah massacre successful a Hanukkah solemnisation astatine the Barclays Center during the team’s insert people to the Miami Heat connected Thursday night. 

As portion of the event, a elephantine hoops menorah was lit during the crippled by the 14-year-old nephew of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed successful the Sydney massacre past week. The ceremonial 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 person attended the menorah lighting astatine the Barclays Center Thursday, but alternatively booked a one-way summons to Australia to beryllium with the victims' families. Kotlarsky said the Nets recognizing Hanukkah and celebrating Jewish practice is 1 of the things that "makes America great."

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A menorah made of basketballs overlooks the Barclays Center anterior to the Brooklyn Nets taking connected the Miami Heat successful Brooklyn, New York, connected Dec. 18, 2025. (Ryan Canfield/Fox News)

"I deliberation that it is really, truly unthinkable to spot America successful its full glory, wherever it stands for what we judge in. And we observe our ideals and our traditions, and our holidays, and it’s supported by the Nets, which is an unthinkable franchise," Kotlarsky said.

"To beryllium capable to admit and springiness a dependable to galore teens who mightiness not beryllium successful a Jewish schoolhouse oregon mightiness not beryllium successful a Jewish (ChaBad), to observe their practice proudly is 1 of the things that makes America great. One of the things that makes sports, the instrumentality and the vas that it is, to transverse the aisles and empower young radical to beryllium arrogant of who they are."

The Nets person 2 Jewish players connected their team, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf, and Kotlarsky said they are inspiring the youth, showing them that they tin travel their dreams without compromising their values. 

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Brooklyn Nets guardant Danny Wolf (2) drives to the handbasket past Milwaukee Bucks guardant Bobby Portis (9) during the archetypal fractional of an NBA hoops crippled successful New York, connected Dec. 14, 2025. (Heather Khalifa/AP Photo)

"People spot that nary substance wherever you travel from and wherever your humble beginnings are, you tin inactive beryllium arrogant of who you are and marque it to the top, and you're celebrated for who (you are). I deliberation the cardinal message, astir the full holiday, is 1 that we observe proudly, that airy has infinitely much powerfulness than acheronian and to person them connected the squad to beryllium capable to say, ‘You're passionate astir basketball, and you tin marque it," Kotlarsky said.

"You tin observe who you are."

Kotlarsky said his travel to Australia is astir making definite the Jewish community, who is dealing with a batch "pain, hurt, nonaccomplishment and shock," volition travel retired of this bigger, stronger and better. He said they are looking to bash a last-minute Hanukkah solemnisation connected Sunday connected the aforesaid formation wherever 16 radical were killed. 

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A motion nether a menorah wishing radical a "Happy Chanukah" that overlooks the Barclays Center anterior to the Brooklyn Nets taking connected the Miami Heat successful Brooklyn, New York, connected Dec. 18, 2025. (Ryan Canfield/Fox News)

"You can’t recognize wherefore things hap and however radical could beryllium truthful evil and termination for specified things but astatine the aforesaid clip it brings retired truthful overmuch much successful what we believe," Kotlarsky said. 

"Like the Hannukkah message, erstwhile you compression an olive lipid comes out. When you compression radical you get to spot their existent essence and who they are and anticipation that beauteous worldly comes out."

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