Los Angeles Celebrates Hanukkah

Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles' first elected Jewish mayor, joined city and local Jewish leaders Tuesday to illuminate the first candle on a 17th century menorah that will be displayed at City Hall in celebration of Hanukkah.

Chabad of California organized the annual City Hall menorah lighting ceremony, now in its 28th year.

The 17th century Katowitz Menorah was the only ritual object left after the Great Katowitz Synagogue in southern Poland was burned in 1938 following the Nazis' Kristallnacht or "Night of Broken Glass," a series of coordinated attacks against Jews, mainly in Germany and Austria.

The menorah was saved from destruction by being hidden underground and was later gifted to Chabad. It will be displayed in City Hall's rotunda for the duration of Hanukkah, the eight-day commemoration of the temple rededication that followed the Maccabees' triumph over a larger Syrian army in 165 B.C.

"Jews throughout the world mark this festival of freedom, of religious tolerance, of light, of joy, of hope and serenity," said Rabbi Moshe Greenwald of Chabad, a community-based nonprofit organization which offers programs to help the needy of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Garcetti described the Hanukkah story as the "great underdog tale" of the outnumbered Maccabees.

"For 2,000 years, the story of Hanukkah has given hope to not only Jews around the world, but (it) is really a universal story for all humanity," he said.

Once the Jews defeated the Hellenist Syrian forces of Antiochus IV at the end of a three-year rebellion, the temple in Jerusalem, which the occupiers had dedicated to the worship of Zeus, was rededicated by Judah Maccabee, who led the insurgency begun by his father, the high priest Mattathias.

According to the story of Hanukkah, Maccabee and his soldiers wanted to light the temple's ceremonial lamp with ritually pure olive oil as part of their rededication but found only enough oil to burn for one day. The oil, however, burned for eight days in what was held to be a miracle, originating the Hanukkah tradition of lighting the eight-armed menorah.

That "miracle," Garcetti said, "reminds us to keep the faith even in those moments of darkness."

As soon as the menorah was lit, shouts of "L'Chaim!" or "to life!" rang out as rabbis from Chabad led Garcetti, Councilman Paul Koretz and other elected officials in a lively bout of traditional Jewish dancing.

Hanukkah begins at sundown Wednesday, but the ceremony was held Tuesday because few people are expected to be at City Hall Wednesday due to Thanksgiving, according to Chabad.

Hanukkah -- which means dedication in Hebrew -- is observed around the world by lighting candles in a special menorah called a Hanukiah each day at sundown for eight days, with an additional candle added each day. The reason for the lights is so passers-by should see them and be reminded of the holiday's miracle.

Other Hanukkah traditions include spinning a dreidel, a four-sided top, which partially commemorates a game that Jews under Greek domination played to camouflage their Torah study, and eating foods fried in oil, such as potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts.

Children receive Hanukkah "gelt" (the Yiddish word for money) from parents and grandparents. The tradition originated with 17th century Polish Jews giving money to their children to give their teachers during Hanukkah, which led to parents also giving children money.

In the United States, the practice has evolved into giving holiday gifts to children and others, akin to Christmas gift-giving.

Unlike on the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, or Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, observant Jews are permitted to work and attend school during Hanukkah, the only Jewish holiday that commemorates a military victory.

This will be the first time Hanukkah has fallen during Thanksgiving nationally since 1918, prompting the coining of "Thanksgivvukah," which merges elements of the two holidays.

Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev on the lunar Jewish calendar, which corresponds with November or December on the Gregorian calendar.

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will not coincide again until 2070.

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah coincided in 1956 in Texas when it still celebrated Thanksgiving on the original final Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving was shifted to the fourth Thursday in November in 1939 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in an attempt to spur Christmas shopping. However, some states, including Texas, continued to celebrate Thanksgiving on the original date.

- City News Service