LYNNWOOD—It is important to highlight and celebrate light and freedom in a world so often plagued with tragedy and hate. Chabad Jewish Center of Snohomish County therefore invites you to celebrate the Festival of Lights with the 13th annual Giant Menorah Lighting & Celebration, celebrating the light and joy of our shared freedoms and the immeasurable value of every human being.
“At this fraught time for the Jewish community, with war in Israel and American Jews facing a major rise in antisemitism, this year we are doing more to celebrate Hanukkah with joy and Jewish pride,” said Rabbi Berel Paltiel. “The Menorah and Hanukkah represent freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and of the victory of good over evil.”
The Lynnwood Giant Menorah Lighting & Celebration will take place at 4:00 pm on Sunday, December 29, at the Lynnwood City Center Light Rail Station. The event will feature the kindling of the giant nine-foot Menorah, delicious Holiday treats, face painting, balloon twisting, personal Menorah kits, and a Hanukkah musical performance by the Seattle based Klez Katz Klezmer band. Special this year: ladder truck from South County Fire will create an unforgettable experience for the kids with a thrilling “Gelt Drop,” showering chocolate coins from above!
Remarks will be shared by Rabbi Berel Paltiel of the Chabad Jewish Center of Snohomish County, as well as by local dignitaries including County Executive Dave Somers.
This year’s celebration carries added significance as it marks 50 years since the first public menorah in the US which was lit at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia in 1974. The public menorah was lit after the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, launched the worldwide Hanukkah campaign in 1973 to build awareness and promote the celebration of Hanukkah. Today, public menorahs and Hanukkah displays have become a staple of Jewish cultural and American public life, forever altering the American practice and perception of the festival.
“Celebrating Hanukkah is a potent point of light,” added Rabbi Paltiel. “The celebration of Hanukkah underscores the G-d endowed liberty that is at the heart of what America represents.”
SOURCE: Chabad Jewish Center of Snohomish County.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
