Rabbi Ely Rosenfeld of Chabad of Butler County opens the ceremony Sunday as Carol Black, a survivor of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh Oct. 27, holds the torch to light the first candle of the menorah in Cranberry Township.

CRANBERRY TWP — Up two steps, a survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting balanced herself on a ladder Sunday and held a tiki torch to light the first candle on a menorah towering over the township's municipal center.

“I was invited to light up the candle and I couldn't say no,” said Carol Black, who was with her brother, Richard Gottfried, at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill on Oct. 27, when a gunman killed 11 people. Gottfried was one of those who died.

“I wanted to be a part of these festivities,” she said.

For the past five years, people from all faiths have gathered in front of the municipal center to celebrate the last night in an eight-day Jewish ritual, Hanukkah, by lighting a menorah.

This year, Jacki Larson of Cranberry noticed that there were more people than ever before.

“We've done this every year since inception and what's really lovely is it's been growing every year,” Larson said.

A Seneca Valley School District teacher, Larson wore a “Stronger Than Hate” shirt, which replaces one of the astroids in the Pittsburgh Steelers logo with the Star of David.

“There are a lot of non-Jews here, too, who are showing interest in our religion and culture,” she said. “It's great.”

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Rabbi Elchonon Friedman demonstrates how to press olives to the children attending the Hanukkah celebration at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center.