Nicky Kohen has every reason to hate Hanukkah.
Her father, Josef Neumann, was slain by a madman during the Festival of Lights three years ago in upstate Monsey — fatally stabbed during a holiday party.
But in the years since, the births of her son and a nephew have helped Kohen and her family find “light in all the darkness.”
“As Jews, we don’t give that up just because something bad happened,” Kohen, 31, told The Post, at times choking up. “There’s family celebrations. We light the menorah with our children every day.”
“We get together, we celebrate both Hanukkah and his life,” the mother of three added.
The festivities carry “great reminders of sadness” she acknowledged, since Neumann, 72, “loved preparing for the holidays,” she recalled.
The retired fish store owner was attending a celebration at the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg on Dec. 28, 2019, when death walked in the door.
The attendees had just lit the menorah when Grafton Thomas, 40, allegedly burst in with an 18-inch machete and wounded five attendees, including Neumann. The father of seven fell into a coma from his critical injuries and died three months later.
Thomas was arrested and pleaded not guilty to murder and hate crime charges — but has been found unfit to stand trial. Neumann was the only victim to die from the attack.
According to federal prosecutors, Thomas had previously scribbled anti-Semitic rants in his journal, and had recently searched online for “Zionist Temples” before carrying out his attack.
Surging anti-Semitism in the years since Neumann’s death has left his daughter deeply disturbed.
“My father’s parents were survivors of the Holocaust. Growing up, I thought it would never happen again,” she said. “Nowadays, I’m not certain.”
An Anti-Defamation League report in April found anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2021, with New York leading the nation at 416 cases. Just last month, police thwarted a plot to gun down Big Apple synagogues.
“I definitely see some political leaders speaking very ignorantly, and public figures, which obviously influences people,” Kohen added, citing Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, who has spewed vile praise for Adolf Hitler and promised to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
Thomas’ lawyer, Michael Sussman, denied his client was anti-Semitic, arguing the accused attacker was mentally ill and had been off his meds.
Thomas was diagnosed with schizophrenia and is currently being held at the Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center in New Hampton, NY, according to federal prosecutors.
“Even if he doesn’t go to prison, I believe he’ll never get out of this mental institution,” Kohen said. “I do feel safer that at least he is unable to do this to anybody else, Jewish or not.”
