Chai Jewish Center of Canton to Mark Start of Chanukah Dec. 25 with Lighting of Giant Menorah
Community invited to a joyful event at 4:30 p.m. opposite Canton Town Hall
CANTON, MASS. (Issued December 2019) — Each year the Canton Chai Center hosts a community Chanukah Celebration, open to
all and free of charge.
This year’s celebration will be held during Chanukah, on Wednesday, December 25 at 4:30 pm, opposite canton Town Hall, in front of the local office of ARCH Orthodontics at 800 Washington St. The event will culminate with the lighting of a giant Menorah (candelabra). Refreshments will include traditional latkes (potato pancakes) and Israeli sufganiyot (jelly donuts), along with Chanukah music. Foods made with oil are reminiscent of the pure ceremonial oil found in the temple when the Maccabees took back Jerusalem 2,100 years ago.
Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, recalls the victory of a militarily small but spiritually strong Jewish people over the mighty forces of a ruthless enemy. The miraculous victory of religious freedom was compounded by a second great miracle: one jug of sacred oil was found still sealed and pure. The Maccabees poured the one-day supply of oil into the great Menorah and rekindled it. The small
amount of oil lasted eight days until the special process for preparing new oil could be completed.
Rabbi Mendy Horowitz of the Canton Chai Center says, “Lighting the Chanukah Menorah reminds us of these events, and also serves as a symbol of the triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness.”
For more information, go to www.JewishCanton.com, or call 781-821-2227, or email CantonChaiCenter@yahoo.com.
By Stan Hurwitz / stanhurwitz@gmail.com
