Celebrate With Us!
Join us every day of Chanukkah or drop in and out as you like. All programs are virtual. All ages are welcome. Please contact the office for the Zoom links.
Thursday, December 10
Community Chanukkah Celebration, 6:00 p.m. Pull out your menorah for an evening of community, music, and Chanukkah trivia. Bring your CSS mug and fill it with your beverage of choice!
Friday, December 11
Creating Light in Dark Times: Shabbat Gathering, 5:45 p.m. Celebrate Shabbat and Chanukkah together with Shabbat singing and candle lighting.
Saturday, December 12
Shabbat/Chanukkah Morning, 9:30 a.m. Torah Study; 10:30 a.m. Service. Rabbi Laurie will lead Torah study. Enid Williams will lead Shabbat singing. Judith Heilizer and Mike Kantor will share Chanukkah reflections.
Chanukkah Baking, 4:00 p.m. Marcy Huffaker will lead a chocolate rugelach baking workshop. More information can be found here.
Chanukkah Stories for Children, 5:30 p.m. Cozy up with a cup of cocoa as Candace Pantoga shares her favorite Chanukkah books.
Candle Lighting, 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 13
Chanukkah Puppet Show, 10:00 a.m. Rabbi Laurie’s puppets invite you to their Chanukkah celebration.
Chanukkah-themed Men’s Havurah, 10:00 a.m. Brian Lavendel will facilitate. If you’ve never attended, this is a great opportunity to check it out!
What the Maccabees Can Teach Us About Life in 2020: 5th-8th Grade Family Education, 11:00 a.m. Led by Rabbi Laurie.
Lunch, Latkes, and Learning with Rabbi Arik Ascherman: Human Rights in Perilous Times, 12:30 p.m. Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Executive Director of Torat Tzedek, will join us from Israel, discussing human rights in the region in light of COVID, an alarming spike in army-backed settler aggression, and the U.S. elections. Rabbi Ascherman will explain how Torat Tzedekk is addressing these challenges, and he will be raising funds for the organization. All are welcome, regardless of making a monetary contribution. Register here for the Zoom link.
Candle Lighting, 6:00 p.m.
Monday, December 14
Teen Hang Out: 9th-12th Graders, 5:00 p.m. Rabbi Laurie will lead a teen discussion.
Chanukkah Wellness Evening, 7:00 p.m. Candace Pantoga will teach craniosacral therapy and Cecily Frederick will lead a yoga session. We’ll begin with candle lighting. For people of all abilities.
Tuesday, December 15
Chanukkah Storytelling Workshop, 7:00 p.m. Jen Rubin will lead this interactive one-hour storytelling workshop. Bring an existing story to shape or a new one from your life. Or don't prepare at all ahead of time. We will discuss five main elements to a story and how to discover them. We’ll begin with candle lighting.
Wednesday, December 16
Craft night - Make Your Own Recycled Menorah, 7:00 p.m. Kimberly Wilson will facilitate a menorah-making workshop. Gather any recycled materials ahead of time and get creative! All ages are welcome. More instructions can be found here. We’ll begin with candle lighting.
Thursday, December 17
Candle Lighting, 6:00 p.m.
Lighting the Menorah
Download a printer-friendly version.
Download Chanukkah songs.
Candles are added to the menorah from right to left but are kindled from left to right. The newest candle is lit first. (On the Shabbat of Chanukkah, kindle the Chanukkah lights first and then the Shabbat candles.) Light the shamash (helper candle) first, using it to kindle the rest of the Chanukkah lights. As you do, sing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tsivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukkah.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Source of all life, who makes us holy with mitzvot and commands us to kindle the Chanukkah lights.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam she’asah nisim laavoteinu v'imoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Source of all life, who performed miracles for our ancestors in days of old at this time.
For the first night only add:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Source of all life, who gives us life, sustains us, and enables us to reach this joyful time.
We gather around these lights in times of darkness, sparking our imagination for a world where all people are treated with respect and dignity. As we kindle the menorah, we shine light on the power of community. We shine light on our obligation to create a more just world. In these difficult times, we pray for health, resilience, and strength. May we recommit ourselves to being present to our needs and to the needs of others. May we be intentional and generous. Let us remember that what we say and do matters. Let us create the future together, action by action, light by light, candle by candle.