As the first night of Hanukkah unfolds, casting its warm glow on homes and communities, the celebrations among the Jewish faithful are tempered by the somber backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict, now in its two-month mark.

The executive director of the Maryland Office for the Council on American-Islamic Relations has temporarily been suspended from the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention. According to the Attorney General, Zainab Chaudry shared social media posts in early October that have created challenges for the commission to work. Now, multiple Maryland Muslim organizations are calling for her to be reinstated.