South Lake Tahoe Mayor to light the ski menorah

Chanukah -The Festival of Lights- for many of us brings back fond memories of childhood years and serves to renew our sense of identity. The Chanukah lights provide us with warmth, joy, strength and inspiration. Such is the purpose of a community-wide celebration to be held at the Ski Run Marina on December 12, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

The Chabad Jewish Center invites the entire community to celebrate the Festival of Lights at a public Menorah lighting ceremony. The grand Chanukah celebration will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, followed by music, delicious hot latkes and doughnuts, a show by Jacques Magician and DIY Chanukah Cookies Decorating by Nicole Damiano from Squishiebaby Sweets. People of all ages will enjoy singing traditional Chanukah songs like “I have a little Dreidel”.

Chabad centers all around the world are dedicated to spreading light and goodness in their respective communities. Chabad’s answer to the darkness and destruction is an increase in light and warmth. Each year Chabad hosts a community-wide Chanukah celebration where the message of religious freedom is brought to the street.

South Lake Tahoe Mayor Austin Sass will assist in kindling the giant “Ski Menorah”.

Chanukah, a celebration for all time is highlighted by the kindling of the Menorah each night of the holiday. "It is a holiday that enriches our lives with the light of tradition" said Rabbi Mordey Richler, director of the Chabad at Lake Tahoe. "In ancient times our ancestors rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem with the Menorah. Today, we rededicate ourselves to making this world a better and brighter place."

Chanukah also propagates the universal message that ultimately good will prevail over evil, freedom over oppression and light over darkness.

In its Chanukah outreach campaign, Chabad at Lake Tahoe joins thousands of Chabad centers across the globe that are staging similar public displays of the Menorah and its symbolic lights. From Australia to Africa, Columbia to Hong Kong, New York City to the White House lawn, hundreds of thousands will experience the joy of Chanukah with Chabad.

Join the Lake Tahoe Jewish community at a public display of unity at this exciting Menorah Lighting Ceremony. Bring the kids and make this your special Chanukah celebration. We encourage everyone to bring a candle to light in unity. Free admission.

For more information, contact the Chabad at (530)314-7677.

Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, recalls the victory - more than 2,100 years ago - of a militarily weak, but spiritually strong, Jewish people over the mighty forces of a ruthless enemy that had overrun the Holy Land and threatened to engulf the land and its people in darkness.The miraculous victory of religious freedom was compounded by a second great miracle that took place when only one jug of sacred oil was found still pure and sealed. The Maccabees poured the one-day supply of oil into the great Menorah and rekindled the Menorah that had been desecrated and extinguished by the enemy. The small amount of oil did not burn out at the end of the first day, but continued to burn continuously for eight days, until the special process for preparing new oil could be completed. Lighting the Chanukah Menorah reminds us of these events and also serves as a symbol and a message of triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness. Today, Jews all over the world light their Menorah, in thanks to G-d who has saved them “To enjoy these days at this season.” Each night an additional light is kindled until, on the eight day, the Menorah is ablaze with eight beautiful lights. Because of the great significance of oil in the story of Chanukah, it is traditional to serve foods cooked in oil. Among the most popular are delicious Potato Latkes. The Syrians decreed that the teaching or studying of Torah was a crime punishable by death or imprisonment. But the children defiantly studied in secret; and when Syrian patrols were spotted, they would pretend to be playing an innocent game of Dreidel. The Dreidel is a four-sided spinning top also called a Svivon, in Hebrew. On each side is a Hebrew letter: “Nun”, “Gimmel”, “Hay”, and “Shin”. The letters stand for the phrase “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham - a great miracle happened there”. It is traditionally used to play a lively Chanukah game. On Chanukah, it is traditional to give all children Chanukah Gelt (money). This beautiful custom adds to the children's happiness and festive spirit. In addition, it affords us an opportunity to give them positive reinforcement for exemplary behavior, such as diligence in their studies, and acts of charity.

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