Lighting the Five Towns menorahs

With the first night of Hanukkah being on Dec. 22, it was a busy night in the Five Towns as the Chabad of the Five Towns held its grand menorah lighting in Andre J. Parise Cedarhurst Park in Cedarhurst and Hewlett and Woodmere lit the menorah at the Veterans Memorial Triangle in Hewlett that Sunday.   

In Cedarhurst, there was the “gelt drops” chocolate money-like coins were disbursed. On Dec. 23 it was Glow Night and three days late the car menorah parade. Batman, dreidels, a gelt drop by the Chabad of Hewlett and hot chocolate highlighted the celebration in Hewlett.

Hanukkah, is an eight-day Jewish holiday, known as the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the Maccabees revolt and subsequent victory over against the Seleucid Empire, and the rededication of the Second Temple. It was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day’s lighting.