Jackson event to mark Hanukkah celebration
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - The 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (Dec. 5) marks the beginning of Hanukkah and the second annual lighting of the menorah at town hall, West Veterans Highway.

The community is invited to attend the lighting of the menorah (candelabra) at 5 p.m. After the lighting ceremony, refreshments will be served in the municipal building.

Rabbi Yosef Carlebach, executive director of Chabad House of New Brunswick and Southern New Jersey, led Jackson's menorah lighting ceremony last year and will perform the same honor next week.

He explained that the menorah is a symbol that recognizes the victory of religious liberty. "Going back [approximately 2200] years, Hanukkah was the celebration of the victory of a small [band of men, led by Judah Maccabee] who were able to overcome a mighty and strong enemy," Antiochus IV and the Syrians under Greek rule.

After the battle the temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Syrians, was rededicated. Carlebach said the war was a struggle between the lights of spirituality vs. anything physical. At that time it was a war between civilizations, glorified power and a small group of people who represented godliness and spirituality on earth, the rabbi said.

"Even though there was a military victory, the actual celebration does not relate to the victory as much as it relates to what happened after the victory," said Carlebach. "A very small cruse of oil that would last for one day was found and this lasted eight days instead, so they were able to receive new, pure oil once again."

Hanukkah today celebrates what happened after the war, according to the rabbi.

"This is the light of godliness that permeates the world," Carlebach said. "This message is crucial because many people think that what is going on in the Middle East and other parts of the world with terrorists, people tend to call this a clash between civilizations and the reality is that it is not. It's really a clash for civilization and that's what Hanukkah represents."

In looking around the world and in the United States, the rabbi said he still sees anti-Semitism and people around the world who kill themselves as they take the lives of others.

"This message of life and hope is more important than ever," he said.

During Hanukkah a candle is lit each evening for eight days, one candle for the first day, two candles for the second and so on until all eight candles are lit on the final night of the holiday. A ninth candle called the shamash, which stands higher than the other candles on the menorah, is lit first and is used to light the other candles.

During the holiday it is customary to eat dairy dishes as well as latkes (potato pancakes) which are cooked in oil. Some people have adopted a custom which is prevalent in Israel of serving sufganiyot (jelly donuts).

It is also customary for children to sing songs and play games with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top which has a Hebrew letter on each side. The Hebrew letters stand for the phrase "nes gadol hayah sham" (a great miracle happened there).

"Everyone is invited to come to the lighting ceremony at 4:30, have a donut and a hot drink and enjoy the lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. at the municipal building," said Susan Goldman, president of the Bat Shalom chapter of the Southern New Jersey Region of Hadassah, sponsor of the event.