Hanukkah celebration after 2 years of the pandemic

Monday, November 29, 2021

The celebration of Hanukkah, the festival of lights, is a bright spot for Jewish people after nearly two years of living in a pandemic. Due to COVID-19, over 5.1 million people died worldwide but, the rising of vaccination numbers allowed a mixture of virtual and in-person events this year.

Hanukkah celebration is determined by the ancient Hebrew calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, that’s why the dates change year to year. In 2021, the holiday will be celebrated from sundown on 28^th Nov. to sundown on 6^th Dec.

One of the cornerstones of Hanukkah celebrations is lighting the menorah each of the eight nights of the holiday. Alana Rudkin of Pittsburg said he encourages folks to connect their inner light, making room for self-reflection and growth.

Jewish people traditionally fry their latkes in oil to commemorate the miracle of the Maccabees’ long-burning oil. Rabbi-in-residence Avram Mlotek of Marlene Meyerson Jewish Community Center in New York City participated in virtual celebrations last year with latke cooking class and menorah lightings offered online.

Mlotek hopes to reach a larger audience of current and future generations of Jewish people to celebrate life and Hanukkah this year.

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