Gov. Baker speaks at the State House menorah lighting ceremony. (Lana Jones/WBZ NewsRadio 1030)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- In a tradition that is coming up on 30 years, the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives presided over the lighting of the State House Menorah.
The U.S. Navy Band provided the soundtrack, and the Solomon Schecter Choir performs Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."
Speaker Robert DeLeo calls Hanukkah a holiday about a miracle.
"Central to the story is a brave group of people who risked all for their beliefs," he said. "Ultimately, light triumphed over darkness, and hope prevailed."
Attorney General Maura Healey said that's a lesson that lives on today.
"Hanukkah teaches us that the struggle for justice in the face of oppression is something that we continue generation after generation," she said.
Gov. Charlie Baker said that the story of Hanukkah can bring to mind some cliches.
"Everybody gets knocked down, when you get knocked down, get back up," Baker said. "Failure is always a part of success. The great things in life don't come easy, they're hard. Well, my message to all of you is to simply build on what's already been said. Which is, this is the celebration, Hanukkah, of a struggle and a miracle. And more often than not, every struggle has a miracle or two along the way."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports