How Do You Attend A Public Menorah Lighting?
One of the joys of Hanukkah is being able to publicly display the hanukiya, or menorah. With its eight candles, the hanukiya is a symbol of the Hanukkah miracle in which a day’s worth of oil burned for eight days and nights. Known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is also a celebration of religious freedom. Public displays of menorahs are a demonstration of this freedom. All over the world, people–Jewish and non-Jewish alike–gather to attend public menorah lightings at Hanukkah. Find a public menorah lighting to attend in your area. Synagogues and Jewish Community Centers will often have a listing of Hanukkah events, as will the community events section of the local newspaper. Be sensitive to the fact that not all synagogues sanction public menorah displays and lightings. The Union of Reform Judaism, for example, opposes displaying menorahs on public property on the basis that it violates the principle of separation of church and state. Learn the words to the Hanukkah blessings, ei
