The Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center held its first-ever Hanukkah Party on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, celebrating the Jewish heritage in the community.
The museum smelled of freshly fried latkes, a crispy potato pancake, a Jewish staple, and blue Hanukkah decorations, a color that represents their faith.
The packed room heard from Opelousas resident Leslie Schiff, who has over 60 years of law experience in the city. Schiff spoke about his life experiences as a Jewish person.
“My experiences as a member of the Jewish community in Opelousas were all good,” Schiff said. “You read a lot of antisemitism nowadays, I am not seeing it. “My family and the other Jewish families in this area are and always were well-received.”
Schiff, who has lived in Opelousas for 86 years, said that the embrace he and the other Jewish families received from their community made their lives a lot easier.
Speaking to a room of people of many faiths on life here and what it means to him to be Jewish, Schiff emotionally gave greater insight into his life and his family.