Menorah lighting is Monday, Dec. 15

HANUKKAH

The GRF Menorah Lighting will be held Monday, Dec. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in Veterans Plaza. This year’s event will include a special musical program featuring Nancy Linder, cantorial soloist from Temple Beth David and the Beth David Choir. This event is for Jew and Gentile alike and is sponsored by SCAN.

Residents are invited to bring their menorahs to share this annual tradition with the community. Congregation Sholom will serve hot cider and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and GRF Director Carol Levine will deliver welcome remarks. This holiday, known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the Jews defeating Syrian-Greek oppressors who had tried forcing them to abandon their religion and adopt Greek culture. The story has it that, led by Judah Maccabee, they recaptured the holy temple in Jerusalem.

Arriving there, they found only enough olive oil to light candles for one night. The miracle of Hanukkah is that it lasted for eight nights. This eightbranch candelabra, known as the menorah, is lit each year, one candle or light, for each of the eight nights in remembrance.