Everyone is invited to join members of the Jewish community in Chattanooga in celebrating the first night of Chanukah this Sunday, December 14 at the Jewish Cultural Center on North Terrace.
Dinner, family friendly kids games and activities, adult beverages, candle making and donut decorating are all part of the event. Bring a menorah and they will supply the candles for the community candle lighting which starts promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Chanukah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greek army, and the miracle of rededicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and restoring its menorah, or lamp.
Chanukah isn’t mandated by the Torah, like the major festivals Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot. Chanukah came later, and celebrates the successful Maccabean revolt which happened many centuries after the Torah was written.
“Chanukah represent a period of time, eight days, when we come together as a community to celebrate life, light and a future. It is a story of Jewish people finding inspiration in an outnumbered band of Jewish patriots who shook off the yoke of foreign oppression and struck a blow for religious freedom,” says Michael Dzik CEO of the Jewish Federation.
The cost for the event is $15 for adults and $5 for children 6-15 years old. Children under 5 are free.
For more information and register www.jewishchattanooga.com.