In December of 1993, a Jewish family in Billings, Mont., was the target of a hate crime when a member of a local group of white supremacists threw a brick through the family's front window to destroy their Menorah. The family was advised to remove other symbols of their religion from their home. Reading the mother's account of this in the local paper, a Christian neighbor became outraged, trying to imagine how she would feel telling her children they couldn't have a wreath or Christmas tree. She began a project at her church to create pictures of Menorahs to hang in members' homes. Eventually, virtually the entire town was displaying the Menorahs.

Dr. Janice Cohn wrote about the town of Billings in her book The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate (Albert Whitman & Company, 2000), and it has since been turned into a screenplay for children's theater. This, she says, is a powerful example of how one simple act of altruism can change an entire community and have a lasting effect on its children.