How Hewlett and Woodmere celebrated Hanukkah

There was singing from the Hewlett High Schools Chorale Girls Quartet, Hanukkah gelt, hot chocolate and holiday giveaways from the Chabad of Hewlett such as dreidels as the Hewlett-Woodmere communities joined together to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday at the Veterans Memorial Plaza in Hewlett on Dec. 7.

The menorah lighting is a collaboration of the Hewlett-Woodmere Business Association, the Chabad, the Hewlett Fire Department and the 4th Precinct auxiliary police.

Hanukkah, also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights, marks the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. In the Maccabean revolt the Jewish people defeated Greek-Syrian oppressors. A small amount of oil was found to light the temple for eight days.