Lighting the Menorah
CRANBERRY TWP — Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah through numerous traditions, many of which are symbols commemorating the Maccabean Jews' rededication of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem following the shedding of their Greek-Syrian oppressors.
On Sunday, members of the Chabad Jewish Center of Cranberry lit the first candles on the menorah at the Cranberry Township municipal building. The center’s co-founder, Rabbi Yossi Feller, said the annual celebration is a demonstration of not only holiday traditions, but is an opportunity for Jewish people to celebrate their heritage in public.
“It’s definitely an honor to do this for the community,” Feller said. “Ultimately it’s a celebration of our freedoms to practice our religion.”
Hanukkah began Sunday, and will continue until Dec. 26. Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, said he helped organize the first public menorah lighting in Cranberry Township around five or six years ago.
He said the lighting Sunday was the most well-attended of any hosted in Cranberry Township to date, and gave partial credit to the Chabad Jewish Center for its promotion of the faith and culture.
“If people can see the customs, they can see we’re no different than anyone else,” Cohen said. “And they’re starting to build up and have services now.”
In addition to the menorah lighting, the organizers also hosted the gelt drop, in which the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company dropped dozens of chocolate coins to the ground from a ladder truck, and children raced to pick up the most.
Feller said that Jewish traditions can be fun while also being symbolic.
“Throughout the ages, it says in the Torah that we are the minority of all nations, but we are still here,” Feller said. “We’re still here eating latkes and donuts.”
Cohen said there were probably many people present at the lighting Sunday who were not of the Jewish faith. He said the turnout was encouraging.
“Cranberry is so open and welcoming,” Cohen said. “It’s nice to see that it’s mostly families. We love to help build the Jewish community here.”
Feller said there will be a smaller menorah stationed outside the Cranberry Township Municipal Center throughout Hanukkah, and a small, electric candle will be lit for the remaining days. The Chabad Jewish Center also distributed menorahs to people in attendance.
While he was speaking to the attendees of the event before the menorah lighting, Feller commented that he was happy to see a show of so much support for Hanukkah.
“We’re very lucky to be celebrating this holiday in the United States of America ... a place where we truly have the ability to practice our religion together,” Feller said. “Especially in a time when, in public, perhaps there is some not so good rhetoric, when we come here in a big crowd and celebrate publicly, we show that we are proud to be Jewish and there is nothing to worry about.”
