Deerfield celebrates first night of Hanukkah; shares message to, ‘shine a light in the face of darkness’
As the candles burned low, congregants from Chabad of Deerfield sang and danced beneath the Hanukkah menorah to usher in the first night of the Jewish holiday.
The eight-night holiday began at sundown on Thursday, and starts with the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah. More than 60 people gathered for a public lighting of the menorah at Deerfield Village Center to celebrate the first night.
Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights, commemorates the reclamation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem from the Greek empire in the 2nd century B.C.E.
After the revolt, only a one-day supply of oil remained for the temple lights, but it lasted for eight nights, which is why Hanukkah is observed for that long.
Before the lighting, Rabbi Chaim Schanowitz of the Chabad and other community members spoke about the meaning of the holiday, including Deerfield Mayor Dan Shapiro.
“Hanukkah is the story of a miracle — the miracle of eight nights of oil burning,” Shapiro said. “If you think about it, the miracle is much more than that. It’s about our people, that we’ve been resilient. We’ve been fighters.
“We’ve been through many years and centuries of hatred and discrimination, and we will get through this, too,” he continued. “We will get through this together, and we will continue the miracle.”
Hanukkah teaches to, “shine a light in the face of darkness,” Schanowitz said to the group.
Schanowitz likened the story of Hanukkah to Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israeli villages, killing about 1,200 people and taking 240 more hostage. The Hamas attack prompted an airstrike response from Israel, a battle that continues with more than 17,000 Palestinians in Gaza killed.
“We all remember just two months ago, once again the land was filled with darkness. A small nation again was under attack by an enemy that’s fueled by hatred and driven by evil,” Schanowitz said. “Hanukkah teaches us not to crumble in fear, but to shine a strong light, to be proud of who we are.”
After Shapiro lit the shamash, the tallest candle on the menorah used to light the other candles, Schanowitz invited Micha Brief to light the first candle and recite the blessings.
Schanowitz asked the crowd to pray for the 138 remaining hostages in Gaza who are unable to light the Hanukkah lights this year.
Live klezmer music on the piano, dancing and games rounded out the first night festivities. Traditional Hanukkah fried food — latkes and sufganiyot, jelly doughnuts — were available throughout the evening.
