Menorah Theft Inspires Growth of a Tradition : Hanukkah: Undeterred by last year’s vandalism, synagogue’s members build 28 outdoor displays to mark holidays and show pride in their faith.

On the eve of Hanukkah last year, someone stole the six-foot-tall, lighted menorah that an Agoura Hills family had displayed in front of their home to celebrate the Jewish holiday.

The crime went unsolved but not unremembered. This week, about 100 members of the family’s Agoura Hills synagogue, Temple Beth Haverim, gathered in a local park with plastic pipes, pliers and electrical cords and constructed 28 menorahs to be displayed at homes of synagogue members.

The project was intended to be a family outing to promote the Jewish tradition of displaying the candelabrum symbolizing the eight days of Hanukkah. But there was another message as well.

“We wanted to show that we won’t be intimidated by a cowardly act of vandalism,” said Russell Paris, president of the temple’s men’s club. “It’s a reminder that in this country people can be proud of who they are and they can stand up for it.”

Most of the families that built the menorahs will display them beginning Sunday night, the beginning of Hanukkah. The nine-branch candelabra stand four feet tall and have plastic-pipe “candles,” with one electric bulb lighted for each day of Hanukkah.

The project came about after the menorah was stolen from the front of Richard and Marsha Bliss’ home Dec. 10, 1990. The menorah had been built by the couple and their children, Jennifer, Michael and Jeremy, and its disappearance brought denunciations from leaders of many religious denominations in the area.

This year, temple leaders asked Richard Bliss to help organize a menorah-building project for other members.

“I am 100% convinced that without the vandalism last year, there would not have been 28 families building menorahs this year,” he said. “Without that bad seed being planted last year, this event would not have blossomed. It’s actually been a real turn for the good.”

Paris said some temple members will build one more menorah for the temple today.

“There are a couple messages that are important from this,” he said. “We want to show our children that we are proud to be Jewish and, of course, we wanted to show support for the Bliss family.

“If what happened last year was somebody trying to intimidate them into not doing this, they failed. Last year, a menorah was taken. This year, there are going to be more of them out there.”

Paris and other members of the temple were quick to stress that the menorah project was a positive celebration of the Jewish holiday and not meant to be an intimidating challenge that might trigger anti-Semitic acts.

Rabbi Gary Johnson said building the menorahs will help instill young temple members with the tradition of displaying the religious symbol.

“Rather than getting back at someone, it is more of a feeling of ‘Let’s be positive and create something beautiful,’ ” Johnson said. “It was a consciousness-raising activity. In living in America, which was founded on religious freedom . . . we Jews should not feel we live in a time of danger where we should be hesitant or self-conscious about celebrating Hanukkah.”