TOLEDO, Ohio — Chabad of Toledo has announced several public events across the city as part of the annual observance of Hanukkah.
This year's celebrations take on special significance, marking 50 years since the first public menorah was lit at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia in 1974, according to a media release from Chabad of Toledo. The event followed a worldwide campaign initiated by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson to raise awareness and promote the observance of Hanukkah.
Public menorahs and displays have since become common across the United States, with Chabad of Toledo hosting numerous local activities for the eight-day Festival of Lights.
Chabad of Toledo will kick off the festivities on the first night of Hanukkah with a Glow-in-the-Dark menorah, the annual car menorah parade and a Grand Latke Cook-off in partnership with “Lenny Cares,” one of Chabad of Toledo's numerous programs aimed at adults. Each ceremony will feature a menorah lighting, entertainment for all ages, along with hot drinks and traditional Hanukkah foods.
Other events include the 6th Annual Downtown Toledo menorah lighting at noon on Dec. 27 at One Government Center, an ice menorah sculpture at “Chanukah on Ice” at The Ribbon at Glass City Metropark beginning at 11 a.m. on Dec. 29, and Chabad’s 37th Annual “Chanukah at the Mall” at Franklin Park Mall near the food court at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 30.
“At this fraught time for the Jewish community, with war in Israel and American Jews facing a major rise in antisemitism, this year we are doing more to celebrate Chanukah with joy and Jewish pride,” said Rabbi Yossi Shemtov in the media release. “The Menorah and Chanukah represent freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and the victory of good over evil.”
Chabad's Hanukkah campaign of "unprecedented light and joy" will reach over 8 million Jews across more than 100 countries, with Toledo's menorah being one of over 15,000 large public menorahs around the globe, including notable locations such as the White House, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the St. Louis Arch, the Great Wall of China and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
Across Ohio, Chabad-Lubavitch is presenting dozens of Hanukkah events, including public menorah lightings, ice menorah displays, car-top menorah parades, community gatherings, giant dreidel houses, "Chanukah Wonderlands" and more.
“Celebrating Chanukah is a potent point of light, Jewish pride, and confidence for American Jews in the fight against darkness and antisemitism,” Shemtov said. “The celebration of Chanukah underscores the G-d endowed liberty that is at the heart of what America represents.”
Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on the evening of Dec. 25 and concludes Jan. 2 at nightfall. The holiday commemorates the victory of the Jewish people over the Syrian-Greeks, who sought to impose restrictions on Jewish life and desecrated the Holy Temple.
Upon recapturing the Temple, only one jar of undefiled oil sufficient to burn for one day was found, yet it miraculously lasted for eight days. In remembrance, Jews light an eight-branched candelabrum known as a menorah, adding a candle each night. The holiday carries a universal message of freedom over oppression and light over darkness.
Chabad of Toledo is a local organization that provides Jewish education, outreach, and social service programs for families and individuals of all ages, backgrounds and affiliations. For more information, contact the office at 419-843-9393, email info@chabadtoledo.com, or visit chabadtoledo.com.
For more details regarding Chabad of Toledo's events or to register, visit chabadtoledo.com/chanukah.