Each year in West Milford, many families look forward to attending the Holiday Tree Lighting to celebrate the upcoming holiday season. Last year in 2012, there was a new policy enacted by the town council, stating that several religious symbols would be allowed to be shown on the lawn near the evergreen tree in front of Town Hall. A Jewish Menorah, a Catholic Crèche, and a sign from the American Atheists Group were set up on the lawn near the enormous tree. The sign posted from the American Atheist Group stirred up some conflict, as some people in town said that since Atheism is not defined as a religion, they should not be able to post a sign on the lawn of Town Hall. The town council wanted to avoid that tension this year, and found that the best way to handle the situation would be to eliminate any displays of religious affiliations altogether.

This December, no religious symbols will be permitted to stay on the lawn during the holiday season. Only the evergreen tree will be lit up for the holidays, with the council declaring it a “holiday tree” with no religious affiliation. However, Rabbi Mendy Gurkov of the Chabad of Upper Passaic County is very disappointed with this news. He does not have a temple to set up a Menorah in West Milford, and so he has planned to set up a Menorah on the eighth night of Chanukah, which was Dec. 4, on the front lawn of Town Hall. There he will have a thirty minute prayer service for those in the community who wish to attend. Afterwards, he plans to take the Menorah back to his home, knowing that he will not be allowed to keep it up during the entirety of the holiday season.

There are mixed feelings amongst the people in West Milford. While the town council has made a decision, many people are simply upset because the residents of West Milford were not able to vote on the decision. A group named the Highlands Economic and Tourism Corporation (HEAT) has been collecting names for a petition to bring back the religious symbols on the Town Hall lawn. They have collected hundreds of signatures so far to support their cause, to bring holiday cheer into the setting of West Milford.

While this policy change in West Milford has created quite a stir, Gurkov does not intend to send a negative message to the town council about the changes that affect him. He only wants celebrate the holiday season with family and friends, and since Town Hall is public property, he sees no reason why he would not be able to gather with the community to celebrate the holiday season.