“Light one candle for the Maccabee children
With thanks that their light didn’t die
Light one candle for the pain they endured
When their right to exist was denied.” (Peter Yarrow)
With Israel engaged in a bloody conflict on the battlefield as well as on the international stage, and with antisemitism skyrocketing these days on college campuses and along streets around the world, the joyful holiday of Chanukah couldn’t come at a better time.
This year, the Festival of Lights will be observed at nightfall this Thursday, Dec. 7, and through Friday evening, Dec. 15.
Like most years, the Baltimore area’s Jewish community will host an array of fun, meaningful and exciting gatherings to celebrate Chanukah and contemplate its eternal themes of freedom and dedication. Here are a slew of examples of this year’s finest offerings.
Thursday, Dec. 7, 11:30 a.m.
Join Chabad of Ellicott City (9411 Frederick Road) for a Chanukah celebration for people ages 50 and over. Live music, doughnuts, latkes, dreidels, holiday arts and crafts, and a kosher roast beef boxed lunch with trimmings and dessert. For information, visit chabadellicottcity.com/tools/events/register_cdo/eventid/16079.
4 p.m.
To kick off the first night of Chanukah, Chabad Lubavitch of Frederick will have a car menorah parade and helicopter gelt drop, leaving from the Chabad Jewish Center (1 W. 9th Street) at 4:30. The parade will culminate at Frederick Municipal Airport (310 Aviation Way) at 5 p.m. for a grand helicopter gelt drop and menorah lighting. Participants must RSVP to be part of the parade. For information, visit jewishfrederick.org/.
5:30
Come to Baltimore’s famous “Chanukah House” (now at 101 Brightside Avenue in Pikesville’s Ralston community) to celebrate the first night of the holiday with Chabad of West Pikesville and the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Co. The “Chanukah House” will be displayed in all its glory throughout the holiday season, and each night will feature a special menorah lighting ceremony. Among the guests to be honored will be Pikesville’s first-responders, local elected officials and Jewish War Veterans. One night will also be an “Israel Night.” For information, visit facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088364941458. (Also, if you live in Howard County or are visiting the Columbia area, check out River Hill Hanukkah.)
6 p.m.
Friendship Circle of Baltimore invites you to a grand unity menorah lighting and Chanukah program, featuring a community art menorah, at Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation, 7000 Rockland Hills Drive. There will be art, face-painting, donuts, latkes, magic and more. For information, visit facebook.com/northoakslcs/posts/pfbid02wv3xNoChpcPjqVbbFd29AiFxhdotaDwXsfXYeAhjqDJZYYvLtADotHew9jkEjKdVl.
Friday, Dec. 8, 6:30-9 p.m.
Roland Park North’s Congregation Beit Tikvah (5802 Roland Avenue) will hold its annual Chanukah party and potluck dinner. Bring your favorite chanukiah and latkes, as well as a dairy, vegan or vegetarian dish to share for the community potluck dinner. Baltimore-based singer-songwriter Norm Hogeland will be on hand to lead the congregation in song. RSVP to info@beittikvah.org.
Saturday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.
Come to An Die Musik (409 N. Charles Street) for its annual Chanukah Party, a klezmer and jazz-filled romp through the fifth night of Chanukah, led by local klezmer mavens Seth Kibel and Michael Raitzyk. For information, visit andiemusiklive.com/events/.
Sunday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Presented in partnership with Chabad of Park Heights, the Weinberg Park Heights Jewish Community Center (5700 Park Heights Avenue) will present “Chanukah Wonderland.” Family activities include arts & crafts, a moon-bounce, face-painting, olive press demonstrations, snacks and drinks, photo booth selfies, cookie decorating and more. For information, contact Laura Kurcfeld (410-500-5907 or lkurcfeld@jcc.org) or Chomi Raices (443-844-9802 or chomi@chabadofparkheights.com).
11:30 a.m.
To benefit the Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital (1708 W. Rogers Avenue), Jewish War Veterans Post 167 will hold a Chanukah party with a lighting of the menorah, food, fun and entertainment by the Baltimore County Swing Band. Admission is $15 in advance, $17 at the door. Please bring an unwrapped gift or gift card for a child valued at $5 or more. A representative of the hospital will be in attendance to speak briefly and accept the gifts. For information, call Charlie at 443-794-6228.
4:30 p.m.
The Rosenbloom Owings Mills Jewish Community Center (3506 Gwynnbrook Avenue) will host “Chanukahpella,” a weeklong series of celebrations featuring community menorah lightings, music and more in the lobby of the Gordon Center for Performing Arts. On Sunday afternoon at 4:30, come and explore the colors and lights of the holiday season with activities from the Port Discovery Children’s Museum and enjoy donuts and hot chocolate, all while treated to a special Chanukah concert featuring the Jewish a cappella groups Rak Shalom and Mezumenet from the University of Maryland.
(For more information and a full schedule of events, visit Chanukahpella. Other performers during the week of “Chanukahpella” include the Beth Israel Congregational Choir; Maian, the Baltimore Community Shlichah & The Accidentals; Chizuk Amuno’s Kol Rinah Choir; and the Krieger Schechter Day School Lower and Middle School Choirs. Please note that tickets are free — thanks to generous funding from Phyllis and Leonard Attman and family — but registration is required.)
5-7 p.m.
Join Beth El, Beth Israel and Chizuk Amuno congregations for “Light Up The Night,” an indoor Chanukah illumination celebration. The event will be held at Chizuk Amuno, 8100 Stevenson Road in Pikesville, and features a dairy dinner (pasta, latkes, salad, sufganiyot), a chanukiah lighting and a colorful laser light show starting at 6 p.m. Cost is $8 per person (kids 2 and under are free). Registration is required. In the spirit of the holiday season, attendees are asked to bring a new winter item (hats, gloves, socks, etc.) to donate. All items collected will be donated to the Baltimore Crisis Center. For information, chizukamuno.org/event/LightUptheNight.
7 p.m.
Celebrate Chanukah with a night of klezmer and Yiddish songs performed by Michael Winograd & the Honorable Mentshn at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown. This all-star klezmer band features special guest vocalist Sasha Lurje, a Berlin-based Yiddish singer. Sponsored by the Jewish Museum of Maryland. For information, visit creativealliance.org/event/hanukkah-party-michael-winograd-the-honorable-mentshn/?fbclid=IwAR39HRMlGS1sP_54-yicBz7uRFZ_Khsewz5WKhigj-rD4Q4pixxTExS4FI8.
Monday Dec. 11, 10:30 a.m.
A sextet of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians will visit Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (7401 Park Heights Avenue) to perform a Chanukah concert for preschoolers there. There will be instrument demonstrations as well as the performing of traditional Chanukah songs.
6 p.m.
Join Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation (7000 Rockland Hills Drive) for its annual menorah lighting and party with music, food, raffles and more. This event is free and open to the community, but you must RSVP at https://mmae.org/event/mmae-chanukah-party or call 410-653-7485.
7-8:30
Join the Baltimore chapter of Jews United for Justice to celebrate Chanukah at the Our Time Kitchen, 117 W. 24th Street. In the spirit of the holiday, members of the JUFJ group will fry vegetarian foods, so bring vegetables, potatoes, Oreos, sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and more to share. Tasty treats, light the menorah, play dreidel and take action together, all while staying warm by the firepit of Our Time Kitchen’s outdoor patio. Everyone is welcome to this family-friendly event. For information, visit jufj.org/event/bat-chanukah/.
7-9 p.m.
Join PJ Library and the Community Connectors for a Chanukah moms’ night out decorating Chanukah cookies and watching the new Hallmark Chanukah movie “Round and Round!” At Towson University Hillel at The Commons, 1 W. Pennsylvania Avenue. For information, visit secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/mMCm5Wk1RLoAxT4rjWl6XA?t=1700147035.
Beth Israel Congregation (3706 Crondall Lane in Owings Mills) presents “Lights, Latkes, and Laughs,” a community gathering for all ages featuring Bingo, a photobooth, raffles, prizes, a dairy dinner, decorate-your-own-Sufganiyot and more! Wear our favorite Chanukah outfit! Cost is $10/person for dinner; Family max. of $36. Six Bingo card for $10, additional cards for $2 each. Raffle tickets for sale in advance and at the door. For information, visit bethisrael-om.org/event/lights-latkes-and-laughs.html.
6-9 p.m.
Repair the World Baltimore will present the ninth annual “Hanukkah BrewHaHa,” a spirited celebration to welcome in the Festival of Lights holiday season, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, from 6-9 p.m. at Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st Street, #420. Featured at the BrewHaHa will be latkes, a live DJ, Charmery ice cream, Union Craft Brewing beer, service projects and raffle baskets. Kosher options will be included. At the event, attendees will have the chance to volunteer with more than a dozen service partners of Repair the World Baltimore, including such local nonprofits as the Maryland Book Bank, Black Yield Institute, local Hillels and more. For information, visit give.werepair.org/event/hanukkah-brewhaha-repair-the-world/e531530.
7 p.m.
Join Chabad of Park Heights for a Chanukah celebration and grand menorah lighting at Quarry Lake at Greenspring (2510-2850 Quarry Lake Drive), featuring a laser light show, musical performance with Eli Atias, crafts for kids, donuts and more. The celebration will take place after a menorah car parade. For information on the parade, visit Jewishusamd.org/chanukahparade.
Wednesday, Dec. 13, Noon
Join The Associated’s Baltimore-Ashkelon and Baltimore-Odesa Partnerships to bring additional light and hope to each other this Chanukah by lighting candles virtually as one community. For information, visit associated.org/event/virtual-chanukah-candle-lighting-with-the-associateds-baltimore-ashkelon-and-odesa-partnerships/.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 5:45-7 p.m.
Chizuk Amuno (8100 Stevenson Road) invites families with young children to bring a menorah and light the final candle of the holiday as a community. The “8 Nights Bright” program will include dinner with a fun dessert, candle-lighting and singing. Cost is $8 for ages 2-9, $10 for ages 10 and up. Children under 2 are free. For information, visit chizukamuno.org/event/8-nights-bright.html.
Friday, Dec. 15, 6 p.m.
Join Columbia Jewish Congregation for “Pajamaka,” to celebrate Chanukah and Shabbat in your family-friendly pajamas, at Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place. At 6, enjoy “breakfast for dinner” with stories, songs and Chanukah surprises. Then at 7:30, Shabbat services will be led by Rabbi Michael Hess Webber and Cantor Steve Hummel. There will also be a raffle. For information, visit columbiajewish.org/
Happy Chanukah!
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