Chabad of Augusta's annual menorah lighting on the Augusta Common on Tuesday will be dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attack in November in Mumbai, India.

Six Jews were among the 180 victims when gunmen assaulted several locations around the city, including an Orthodox Jewish center. The victims will be remembered with songs and a candle- lighting ceremony, said Chabad's Rabbi, Zalman Fischer.

"This one hit pretty close to home," he said. "This is a colleague. They come from the same community, same background."

Chabad of Mumbai, like Chabad of Augusta, is part of a global network of orthodox Jews from more than 3,000 centers around the world.

The lighting, Rabbi Fischer said, serves as a demonstration where "religious freedom is brought to the street."

"We feel it's appropriate for people to reflect on it and maybe change something about their lives," he added. "It won't make all the problems go away, but maybe something will change."

Several groups plan events celebrating Hanukkah, an eight-day observance that starts Sunday. The holiday commemorates the Jews rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after driving warring armies from the city in the second century B.C.

Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.