A menorah has become a symbol of hope after surviving a 1985 firebombing at a Vancouver synagogue

A menorah is one of the last remaining vestiges of aVancouver synagogue that was ravaged by a firebomb in 1985.

In the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 25, 1985, aMolotovcocktail was hurled through a first-floor window into Temple Sholom, which at the time was located onWest 10th Avenue.

While no one was hurt inthe bombing, it destroyed much of the building. The arsonistwas never apprehended.

Rabbi Philip Bregmanwasthe spiritual leader of Temple Sholom at the time.

"I got a call from the fire department at two in the morning saying the synagogue was fully engulfed and that it was a bomb," he said during an interview with CBC News.

WATCH |Menorah saved from 1985 firebombingstill used today for Hanukkah:

Menorah saved from 1985 firebombing of Vancouver synagogue still used for Hanukkah

9 months ago

Duration 3:01

Thirty-eight years ago, an arsonist threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of Vancouver's Temple Sholom Synagogue, destroying much of its first floor. Among the few things that survived was a menorah. Rabbi Philip Bregman, who was head of the synagogue at the time, says it represents light in a time of darkness.Our Maurice Katz caught up with Rabbi Bregman to talk about that time and how things have changed since.

When Bregman arrived at the temple, fire crews were still working to extinguishthe blazebut that didn't stop him from rushing into the building toretrieveTorah scrolls.

"We tried to save them all,but couldn't," he said.

Among thefew itemsretrieved from the pile of charred ruins was amenorah.

"The bomb came in from the window and right next to the window was the menorah. The fire crew couldn't explain what stopped it from burning," he added.

Menorah 'a miracle,' says rabbi

Hanukkahmarks the Maccabees returnto Jerusalemin the second century BCto liberate it from Seleucid Greek rule and rededicate the Second Temple in Jerusalemwith a new altar and menorah.

The Maccabees found they only had enough oil to light the new menorah for one day, but it ended up burning for eight nights, according to tradition. Since then, a festival of lights has been celebrated every year to commemorate the miracle of the oil.

"Temple Sholom's candelabrumis also a miracle," said Bregman. "It's made out of wood and metal andI can'texplain [why it didn't burn], and the fire crew couldn't either."

The menorah now sits at Temple Sholom's current location onOak Street. The synagogue relocated there in June 1988.

Dan Moskovitz, Temple Sholom's senior rabbi, says the menorah serves as a reminder of hope duringdark times.

"We use it every year in our community during Hanukkah. It is the light of freedom, of repair and renewal," he told CBC News.

Celebrating Hanukkah more crucial than ever, says rabbi

Moskovitz saidit's crucial now more than ever to lightthe menorah and celebrateHanukkah amid a rise in hate incidents aimed at the Jewish community.

In a statement released in early November,British Columbia's human rights commissionerKasari Govender said the devastating events in and around the Gaza Strip have resulted in a surge ofhate incidents and violence toward Jewish and Muslim people in the province.

B.C. Premier David Eby issued a statement Thursday to commemoratethe start of Hanukkah, acknowledging that the celebration comes "at a time when incidents of antisemitic hate are on the rise in B.C. and worldwide, making Jewish people feel unsafe in their communities."

While antisemitismcontinues to bea problem, Rabbi Bregman says a lot can be accomplished by embracing differences.

"Everybody has the right to be here, we should simply not let hatred and darkness envelop us," he said.