MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The family of slain U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff honored his memory by lighting the first Chanukah candle at the Chabad of Kendall and Pinecrest.
Shirley Sotloff and Arthur Sotloff gathered with family and friends for the event Tuesday night.
"Steven's faith helped him cope with the punishment that was not his own making. As we light the menorah this day we are proud to declare our Judaism," said Shirley Sotloff.
The 31-year-old freelance journalist was killed by the terror group ISIS in September. Steven Sotloff, who was born in South Florida, was kidnapped in 2013 while reporting on the civil war in Syria.
Rabbi Yossi Harlig invited the family to mark the first day of Chanukah after he first met them in the days after Steven Sotloff's death.
"In the last part of his life he was in a very dark place, and he made up his mind that he was not going to allow that darkness to take away from what he believed in and what he stood for," said Harlig.
Steven Sotloff's parents have established the 2Lives Foundation to honor their son's legacy. The fund will grant scholarships to graduate students and journalists.
Click to learn more information about the 2Lives Foundation.
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