Sing Songs, Celebrate Hanukkah At Livingston Menorah Lighting

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Hanukkah came fairly early this year, forcing observers to make plans while also planning for Thanksgiving, but there's still time to prepare for related events in Essex County. Among them, Rabbi David Vaisberg will host a fun Hannukkah event this Sunday evening in Livingston.

There are also events scheduled this week in Maplewood and Millburn.

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At Livingston's event, Rabbi Vaisberg, of Temple B’Nai Abraham, will lead Hanukkah songs and light the menorah.

The event will take place at the Memorial Garden and park (see map here) at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. The park is located on Robert Harp Drive. You can find more details on the town's website here.

Want to head to more Hanukkah events? Maplewood is having one Thursday at Dickens Village. More details are here.

And the Maplewood Jewish Center will celebrate its expansion with an event Sunday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. The event will celebrate Hanukkah and show off the buildling's new features, including a kosher kitchen and added early childhood education classrooms. Find out more and RSVP here.

This year, Hanukkah began at sundown this past Sunday and will run through nightfall on Monday, Dec. 6.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a group of Jewish warriors defeated the Syrian-Greek king, who wanted them to worship him instead of God. Led by Judah Maccabee, the Jewish worshipers held onto their Temple but found only enough oil to light the candles in their menorah for one night. The oil lasted for eight. That's why the Hanukkah celebration is a "festival of lights."

The date of Hanukkah moves around because it's based on the Jewish calendar, which correlates to the sun and moon. It always falls in November or December. Next year it will start at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 (so you have 383 shopping days).

Patch Editor Deb Belt contributed to this story.

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