The eight-day celebration of Chanukah—a festival of light, food, and friends—begins on the evening of Wednesday, December 25.
Each day of the celebration, parents often give gifts to their children and entertain friends and family. Traditional fried foods, especially potato pancakes (latkes) and doughnuts (sufganiyot), are served.
The holiday commemorates events from the second century BCE, when Jews rose up against their Greek oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Led by Judah Maccabee (known as “the Hammer”), the Jews successfully drove the Greeks out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerrilla warfare tactics.
A central tradition of Chanukah is lighting the nine-branched menorah, known in Hebrew as a hanukiah. Each night after sundown, one additional candle is lit, using the ninth candle, called the shamash (“helper”), to light the others. Jews typically recite blessings during this ritual and display the menorah prominently in a window to remind others of the miracle that inspired the holiday.
This year, Rabbi Case and the Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation invite the community to celebrate Chanukah on Sunday, December 29, at 5 p.m. The event will feature traditional food, including latkes, dreidels, games and fun. Non-members are especially welcome. The cost is 500 pesos per person for members and 750 pesos for guests. Tickets can be purchased at Diane Pearl Gallery, Monday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Congregation is located in Riberas, at Sta. Margarita 113, a half-block north of the Carretera.