I waited in the green room yesterday at CapRadio’s Insight with Vicki Gonzalez program, ready to talk about Poster Girl on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. In the green room, I met two guests who would appear on the show right before me, Rabbi Mona Alfi, from Sacramento’s Congregation B’nai Israel and Rabbi Yossi Grossbaum, from the Chabad Jewish Community Center. They were there to discuss how their congregations are celebrating Hanukkah during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, as their communities experience a rise in antisemitism. In our short talk, and then in their interview, I was touched by the idea that the celebration rejoices in sharing light in a time of darkness.

The same topic emerged later that night, when I spoke to an attendee at Rosie Presents: Poster Girl! Marga told me she was glad to be at an author event on the first night of Hanukkah because she believes that authors can be a light in the dark.

Both those conversations lightened the landscape for me.

You can LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEWS ON CAPRADIO’S INSIGHT HERE.