Congregation Beth Shalom, The Center for Jewish Life in Greater Stanislaus County and the Central Valley based in Modesto, will once again celebrate the eight nights of the Chanukah holiday. 

Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a minor Jewish holiday celebrating the victory of the Maccabees in their struggle for religious freedom in 164 BCE. The winter holiday is timed based on the lunar calendar and this year starts at nightfall on Dec. 25 and concludes on Jan. 2, 2025. 

At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is the shamash (“attendant”), which is used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night, just one candle is lit. On the second night, an additional flame is lit. By the eighth night of Chanukah, all eight lights are kindled.

On Friday afternoon, care must be taken to light the menorah before Shabbat candles are lit, and the following evening they are to be kindled only after Shabbat has ended.

Special blessings are recited, often to a traditional melody, before the menorah is lit, and traditional songs are sung afterward.

A menorah is lit in every household (or even by each individual within the household) and placed in a doorway or window. The menorah is also lit in synagogues and other public places. In recent years, thousands of jumbo menorahs have cropped up in front of city halls and legislative buildings, and in malls and parks all over the world.

“Chanukah is always during the darkest night of the year. We respond to the darkness by literally adding more light. The message of the holiday is clear: light is more powerful than darkness and hope is more powerful than despair,” said Rabbi Shalom Bochner.

For several years, Congregation Beth Shalom has held public menorah lightings at different locations around Stanislaus County.

This year there are menorah lightings tentatively scheduled for: Dec. 27 at McHenry Village, near the marque in the front of the shopping center; Dec. 28 in Turlock; and Dec. 29 at the Downtown Plaza in Modesto.

There is also a Latkes on the Rocks: Return to the 50s dinner scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and a Chanukah party planned for Dec. 22 at the temple.

For more than a decade, the congregation has also hosted a First Responder Dinners over Christmas for police officers, fire fighters, emergency responders and those who are home-bound. This will again be offered this year on Dec. 25 as part of the congregation’s Chanukah events. The First Responder Dinners are part of the congregation’s commitment to Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and making the world a better place for everybody.

For more information on local Chanukah events or public menorah lightings, visit cbsmodesto.org or call 209-571-6060.