How to celebrate 8 nights of Hanukkah with suburban Jewish communities
Jews across the suburbs and world will celebrate a more than 2,100-year-old miracle starting Sunday.
Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, begins Sunday evening and concludes the evening of Monday, Dec. 26.
It recalls the victory of a militarily weak Jewish people over the Syrian-Greeks who had overrun ancient Israel and sought to impose restrictions on the Jewish way of life.
A light flickered in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the huge complex smashed by oppressors along with the jugs of oil that kept the flame eternal. Only one vial was left, holding a day's supply of oil.
Miraculously, that small amount kept the temple's menorah lit the next eight days.
"Each night, as we light an additional candle on the Hanukkah menorah, we celebrate our capacity to fight the darkness of intolerance," said Matthew Charnay of JCC Chicago, headquartered in Northbrook and serving about 6,000 people.
"The holiday is a recognition of an ancient military victory of the Jewish Maccabees and a celebration of the taking back or 'rededicating' the temple," Charnay said. "But today, it's about gift-giving and eating delicious latkes and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts covered by powdered sugar."
As manager of family programming, Charnay is gearing up for "8 Nights of Hanukkah." It's an all-ages celebration of the holiday with eight events including the lighting of the menorah.
JCC debuted "8 Nights of Hanukkah" in 2020 in a virtual format to unify people and snap the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Anytime our community can come together for a fun, engaging and interesting experience, that is a win," Charnay said.
Charnay said the first night of the 2021 Hanukkah program outside Wrigley Field drew 11,000 attendees who enjoyed music, dancing, magic, games and giveaways for children.
This year Gallagher Way's Winterland Park has expanded inside Wrigley Field to allow teens and young adults to go ice skating in the park.
"Our '1st Night, 1st Light' at Gallagher Way will be unforgettable," Charnay said.
Each night is hosted by a different JCC Chicago program.
On Dec. 20, it's "3rd Night, 3rd Light" with Apachi Day Camp, in person at three locations: Northbrook, Evanston and Lake Zurich.
Glencoe's Marisa Chez took her children, Francesca, 7, and Marshall, 5, to the "3rd Night, 3rd Light" celebration last year at the "Z" Frank Apachi camp in Northbrook. They are going again on Tuesday.
"This was mainly for kids," with the neon face paint, glow sticks, music and ice cream, but the adults enjoyed it, too, Chez said.
"It was during COVID, there weren't play dates really happening, so it was a nice opportunity for the parents to meet the kids our children talk about all the time, and meet their parents," she said. "We've made friends through events and whatnot, and get together during the year. It just fosters a real nice community."
The Bernard Weinger JCC, 300 Revere Drive, Northbrook, will host events on nights four through six: "Hanukkah Hangtime" complete with a bonfire on Dec. 21; the intriguing "Latkes, Libations & Lo-Mein" for the 20s and 30s crowd on Dec. 22; and the "Dreidel Drop-in" competition on Dec. 23.
Three offerings will remain virtual: a "Hanukkah Sing-Along," from 5:30-6 p.m. Dec. 19, and a streaming movie, "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas," on the seventh night, Dec. 24, presented by JCC Chicago's Jewish Film Festival, and "A Story by Candlelight," with Charnay as the featured speaker, from 5:46 to 6:45 p.m. Dec. 25.
For details or to register for all "8 Nights," visit jccchicago.org/8nights.