CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Three nights after a deadly terrorist attack in Australia killed 15 people at a celebration of the first night of Hanukkah, Charlottesville will host a pair of ceremonial menorah lightings for its Jewish community.

“The best thing we can do is only increase in our light, and not back down,” Rabbi Reuvi Mayer of the Rohr Chabad House at UVA.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, on the Downtown Mall, a 9-foot-tall menorah will be lit at an event organized by Chabad of Charlottesville that will also include latkes, jelly donuts and dreidels.

Mayer said a number of city officials, including Mayor Juandiego Wade, City Councilor Natalie Oschrin and 5th District Congressional candidate Tom Perriello, are expected to be in attendance.

“I think it is more important than ever for the community to come together and support one another,” Wade told Cville Right Now. “Charlottesville has always been an open city that welcomes all.”

Wednesday at 6 p.m., the same style event will be held at the Stonefield Mall, across from the Hyatt Hotel.

“Withthe horrific news out of Australia, we need to take very seriously the resurgence of violent anti-Semitism and other forms of hate,” Perriello told Cville Right Now. “Certainly, all of us in Charlottesville know what that looks like from when white supremacist hate groups and neo-Nazis invaded our city just a few years ago.”

Among the highlights of the events will be the arrival of a “Mitzvah Tank.” Mitzvah is the Hebrew word for a good deed.

Six Rabbinical students from Connecticut are driving an RV decorated with Jewish pride signage down to Virginia.

“Really that’s our way of responding to terror and hate and darkness,” Mayer said. “We don’t use army tanks. But we use our spiritual mitzvah tanks. We do mitzvahs, good deeds, and spread as much goodness in the world as we can.”

The tragedy at Australia’s Bondi Beach is certainly on the minds of many in the area’s Jewish community.

One of the victims, Rabbi Eli Schlinger, worked with the Chabad movement, Mayer said. A year ago, he posted a social media video showing his method of fighting anti-Semitism. The video showed Schlinger placing a menorah on his car and then dancing in the street.

Part of this week’s celebration, Mayer said, will be honoring Schlinger’s memory.

“The only thing anti-Semites and terrorists love more than dead Jews, are scared Jews,” Mayer said. “The best way we can fight back is by showing we’re not going to back down and we’re not going to cower in fear. We’re never going to back down when we’re facing evil.”

Mayer said out of an abundance of caution, Charlottesville Police and private security will be on hand. Still, he added that showing up for events like menorah lightings sends a powerful message.