Foxborough Gets Their First Menorah

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Christmas decorations have always been a yearly tradition up at the Foxborough Common, but now a new one starts this week for Chanukah.

For the first time ever, the center of town has a menorah to commemorate the Jewish Festival of Lights. The menorah was installed by Rabbi Kivman of the Chabad Jewish Center and a ceremony to celebrate the seventh day of the holiday is scheduled for Monday night at 6:30 p.m. Hot latkes and Apple cider will be served and all are welcomed to take part.

"In ancient times our ancestors rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem with the Menorah. Today, we rededicate ourselves to making this world a better and brighter place." Rabbi Yossi Kivman, director of the Chabad Jewish Center in Mansfield said. “Chanukah also propagates the universal message that ultimately good will prevail over evil, freedom over oppression and light over darkness.”

Chanukah starts Tuesday night and runs through Dec. 20. The holiday celebrates the miracle of a small amount of oil discovered after Judah Maccabee's victory over the Seleucids. While the oil should have lasted for a day, it allowed light to remain for eight nights. To commemorate this, a candle on a Menorah is lit each night.

Photo: Rabbi Yossi Kivman of Chabad Jewish Center Mansfield together with Foxboro resident Howard Schaefer putting up the Menorah on the Foxboro common on Friday December 8 in preparation of Chanukah. Credit: Submitted