Celebrating Chanukah in the community
The following synagogues and organizations will hold special programs for Chanukah, which will be celebrated this year from the evening of Sunday, Dec. 2, through Monday, Dec. 10:
Bnai Keshet, Montclair — Latkepalooza 2018, with food, music, tikkun olam, and hands-on family activities, will be held on Friday, Dec. 7,
6-9 p.m.
The first seating at 6 will feature fried latkes, children’s activities and candle-lighting, and an adult-only BYOB space. Live music will be provided by Midnight Nosh and guest vocalist Aviva Patz and Daniel Brenner on guitar, Ben Weiss on bass, and Craig Levine on drums.
Bring an unwrapped new educational book or game for donation to Babyland Family Services in Newark.
Call 973-746-4889 or visit bnaikeshet.org/event/latkepalooza3.html#.
Chabad of SE Morris County, Madison — Public menorah lighting ceremonies will be held in Madison, Borough of Chatham, East Hanover, and Florham Park. Music, hot refreshments, and children’s prizes will accompany each lighting. For more information, visit ChabadCares.com or call 973-377-0707.
Chabad of West Orange — Public menorah lightings with refreshments will take place Sunday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. at Roseland Borough Hall; and Monday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. at West Orange Town Hall.
The third annual Grand Anniversary Celebration will be held Friday-Saturday, Dec. 7-8, and includes Shabbat candle and menorah lightings, Friday night dinner and Saturday kiddush luncheon, and The Weinreb Brothers, who are vocalists and musicians. A musical Havdalah, and menorah lighting, and kumsitz will be held Saturday night.
RSVP for Shabbat dinner ($36 adults, $18 children) at chabadwestorange.com/fnd.
Kahal Chaverim, New Jersey Congregation for Humanistic Judaism — A secular/cultural Jewish Chanukah celebration with a presentation by students, music by the New York Troubadors, games, and food will be held at Randolph Community Center on Sunday, Dec. 9, 9:30-11:30 a.m. RSVP to Ann at membership@kahalchaverim.org or 973-559-7543 or go to kahalchaverim.org.
Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway — More than 20 public menorah lighting ceremonies will take place in Sparta, Mountain Lakes, Hackettstown, Parsippany, the Picatinny Arsenal, Boonton, Mount Olive, Rockaway, Denville, Chester, Newton, Randolph, Blairstown, Dover, Montville, and at Rockaway Townsquare. Ceremonies will include music, hot latkes, donuts, Chanukah gelt, and dreidels.
For a full schedule, go to onetorahway.org or contact 973-625-1525, ext. 202, or rabbib@onetorahway.org.
Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey (JCHC) — A free Hanukkah concert — themed “Light & Lighthearted: Jewish Music to Lift the Spirit” and featuring Kol Dodi: Community Chorale of Greater MetroWest NJ — will be held on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m. at JCC MetroWest Theater, West Orange.
Kol Dodi, under the direction of Cantor Riki Lippitz and Valeriya Tuz, performs renditions of Jewish liturgical and popular pieces in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and Ladino. For information, contact barbaram@jchcorp.org.
Morristown Jewish Center Beit Yisrael — A Rock Hanukkah Concert Featuring Yosi and the Superdads will be held on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 11 a.m. Latkes and donuts will be served. RSVP to flo@mjcby.org or 973-538-4848.
The Second Annual Menorah Lighting at the Morristown Green will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m., in conjunction with Temple B’nai Or. RSVP to flo@mjcby.org or 973-538-4848.
Temple Sha’arey Shalom, Springfield — A Chanukah Brunch featuring Steiner sports and entertainment memorabilia and children’s crafts projects will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2. Call 973-379-5387.
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, South Orange — A Young Family Chanukah Celebration and Dinner will be held for families with children in preschool through second grade on Friday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m., followed by a family-friendly Chanukah Shabbat service at 6 with Ellen Allard, a recording artist, performer, and early childhood music specialist. The program will include a children’s holiday activity and pizza dinner, with gluten-free and dairy-free options available upon request. RSVP with attendees’ names and children’s ages by Dec. 5 to Samy Fantacone at sfantacone@tstinj.org.
Temple Sholom, Scotch Plains — A Chanukah Lego Night will be held on Thursday, Dec. 6, 6-7:30 p.m., featuring Lego building, dreidel games, raffles, and Chanukah music and refreshments. RSVP by Dec. 2 at sholomnj.org, sholom@sholomnj.org, or 908-889-4900.
Temple Sinai, Summit — A free Chanukah Celebration with Jewish rock musician Rick Recht will be held Friday, Dec. 7, beginning with a 6 p.m. tot and youth Shabbat and a Shabbat Live! service at 7:30. RSVP to office@templesinainj.org or 908-273-4921, ext. 10.
YM-YWHA of Union County, Union — Chanukah festivities for adults and children will be held on Sunday, Dec. 2.
Michael Weinstein, author of “Ten Times Chai,” his book discussing the 180 Orthodox synagogues of New York City, will speak at 10 a.m. Signed books will be available.
Ed Goldberg and the Odessa Klezmer Band will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Light refreshments will be available; a $2 donation is suggested.
For families and children, a mini-holiday shopping boutique will begin at 1 p.m., followed by “The Parrot Rebbe,” a 45-minute live performance with trained parrots at 2, with a raffle to win a live parrot. Food will be available for purchase. Admission is $10 per family, with sponsorships ranging from $36 to $180.
The choir of the Jewish Educational Center/Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva will perform at 1:45 p.m.
For more information or to register on line, go to uniony.org or call 908-289-8112.
Additionally, a Senior Chanukah Luncheon with latkes and entertainment by Tuvia will be held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $8, $5 members. RSVP to 908-289-8112.
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