Join our community for the annual Lighting of the Menorah hosted by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce on Sunday, December 14, at 5:30 P.M. at the Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park.
This meaningful act of lighting candles marks the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight-day winter festival of lights, celebrated to mark the triumph of light over darkness. It offers a meaningful message to people of all faiths of hope, joy, kindness, connection, and community.
One candle of the giant menorah will be lit on this first night of Hanukkah, and an additional candle each successive night, serving as a beacon of hope and a celebration of resilience. This will be done until the eighth night when the Menorah is fully illuminated.
Everyone is welcome, and it isn’t necessary to know every custom or prayer to participate and enjoy the message of hope of this season.
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE, when the Jewish people, led by the Maccabees, reclaimed their temple from the Seleucid rulers. According to tradition, they discovered only one small flask of purified oil to light the temple’s menorah – enough for a single day – yet the oil miraculously burned for eight nights.
The gentle illumination of the menorah’s glow adds a sense of peace and wonder to our beautiful park that sparkles and shines so vividly during this season, and reminds us that one small flame, one small act can make a difference.
Let’s remember what we all have in common and join our Jewish friends and neighbors, bridge cultural and religious gaps, and celebrate this reflective occasion. It’s another layer of love and connection to add to our holiday season.
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