Town celebrates Chanukah with menorah lighting
By Canton Citizen
Local residents gather in front of ARCH Orthodontics for a menorah-lighting ceremony. (Moira Sweetland photo)
The brightness of the Chanukah lights brought warmth to the crowd gathered for this year’s Canton community menorah-lighting ceremony — despite Saturday evening’s 20-degree temperature and 10-degree wind chill factor.
The annual event, organized by Rabbi Mendy and Rivka Horowitz of the Chai Center of Canton, marks the joyous eight-day holiday of Chanukah, which has been celebrated for some 2,000 years. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the surprise victory by the Maccabees over the much larger Seleucid (Syrian/Greek) army in the year 166 CE.
Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz assisted Rabbi Horowitz in lighting the 10-foot menorah and joined the crowd in traditional holiday blessings and song. Refreshments included latkes (potato pancakes), hot chocolate provided by the Schlossberg-Solomon Chapel of Canton, and Israeli donuts courtesy of Zayde’s Market in Canton.
The annual celebration took place opposite Canton Town Hall on the grounds of ARCH Orthodontics and was free and open to all. “We are pleased to once again host this holiday display and bring warmth, joy and beautiful smiles to the community,” said Dr. Andrew Chase of ARCH Orthodontics.
The mission of the Chai Center of Canton is to reach out and create a warm atmosphere for Jews of all ages to explore and experience their heritage in a welcoming environment. For more information, visit www.jewishcanton.com, email cantonchaicenter@yahoo.com, or call 781-956-2507.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=37809
Posted by Canton Citizen
on Dec 23 2017. Filed under News.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
