As the Jewish community in Chicago prepares to celebrate Hanukkah, police have stepped up patrols around synagogues, schools, and public holiday events.

Hanukkah is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays. Here's when it will be this year.

The state Capitol’s giant menorah was officially lit at sundown Monday, marking the second night of Hanukkah for Jewish Pennsylvanians. The lighting of the roughly 10-foot-tall menorah – the traditional candelabra used for the Hanukkah holiday – was organized by Chabad-Lubavitch,

It was a night that promised to bring "joy and light" to Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach as crowds of Jewish families gathered at a park to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, also known as the festival of light.

In the South Bay, members of the Jewish community say they are in disbelief over what happened in Australia. Still, they say they are not going to let fear keep them from gathering to celebrate Hanukkah.

Police bolster their presence as Jewish leaders vow not to cancel celebrations because “if we do, then they win.”