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Safety is Paramount for Pasadena Temples This Hanukkah

Published on Thursday, December 10, 2020 | 10:31 am
 

From car parades and drive-thru menorah lightings to online traditional blessings and latke-cooking lessons, Pasadena temples are getting creative this year to spread the joy of Hanukkah without the risk of spreading germs.

While pandemic precautions make traditional large gatherings impossible, the Chabad of Pasadena and the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center still have a full schedule planned for the community during the eight-day Festival of Lights, which began Thursday at sunset.

“It’s different. And we have to adapt to the circumstances, but by no means should it diminish one’s Hanukkah experience and the joy that goes along with that,” said Rabbi Chaim Hanoka of the Chabad.

“I think it’s actually all the more important perhaps this year, where so many people are cooped up at home, especially with the elderly or those who have morbidities that can’t get out much at all, and be able to join at least with some social experience,” he said. “Otherwise it’s been very lonely for these people for the last eight, nine months.”

The Chabad began the holiday by distributing Hanukkah supply boxes to the Temple’s children, containing games, treats and a kit to build their own menorahs, according to the temple.

The Chabad’s traditional 12-foot-tall menorah lighting ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. at Pasadena City Hall. But unlike the carnival-like atmosphere that usually surrounds it, participants are being asked to watch from their cars or from home via Zoom, or via Pasadena Media at pasadenamedia.org.

The festivities continue Monday evening, as the Chabad hosts an online “Chanukah Together @ home, encouraging congregants to join online for “candle lighting, games, songs and community spirit,” the Chabad said in a written statement.

A car parade is slated for 6 p.m. Wednesday, where participants will adorn their vehicles with menorahs and other decorations and meet up at the Chabad of Pasadena, Hanoka said.

“ We have a police escort that’s going to lead us down Colorado Boulevard all the way down to Old Town and back up [Walnut Street],” he said. “And that’ll begin with the menorah lighting in the parking lot here at Chabad at 5:30 p.m.”

Each night of Hanukkah, community members are invited to the lighting of the giant menorah at the Chabad’s parking lot without getting out of their cars. The ceremonies will take place at 5:30 p.m. nightly, and at 4 p.m. on Friday.

The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center has “8 Crazy Nights” of socially distanced celebration planned, according to Director of Congregational Engagement Melissa Levy.

“The hope is that it actually gives something for everyone,” she said.

The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday with the online “Judaism in the Home Kick-Off,” featuring traditional blessings, according to the synagogue.

Congregants are encouraged to share photos of themselves and their families posing with their menorahs and responding to the query: “How are you bringing light to those around you this holiday season?” Participants can tag their photos on social media with the hashtag #PJTCBRINGSINTHELIGHT.

Saturday evening will be “Hanukkah in Your Pajamakkas” via Zoom, which will include Hanukkah trivia and an online scavenger hunt.

A “virtual escape room” and latke cooking lessons are also scheduled for the week, which will culminate at 6 p.m. Dec. 17 with an outdoor community menorah lighting and sing-along at the PJTC, with guests invited to enjoy the festivities from their cars if they prefer. Reservations for a socially distanced table are required.

Reacting to the pandemic has been a thought-provoking experience, Levy said.

“I think that this pandemic has really forced us to think about our roots and the real purpose of each holiday,” Levy said. “It really took me back to what are the most important things to emphasize? What are the Jewish values that we learned from Hanukkah and how can we get families together and build relationships and share while we are still in our different households?

“This pandemic has shown us just how important it is to maintain connections with our communities. So it’s been really important for Pasadena Jewish Temple, and in my role in particular, to help our community feel connected, to continue to build relationships,” she said.

“The Jewish people have been adapting to crises for thousands of years. Many of our holidays discuss the challenges that we’ve faced and how we’ve made the most of them and adapted and changed,” Levy said. “This is just one more moment for us — an awful, awful moment — but another moment where it’s just important to stick together and take care of each other.”

More information on the Chabad of Pasadena’s Hanukkah activities can be found online at chabadpasadena.com.

More details on Hanukkah plans at the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center are listed at pjtc.net/hanukkah.

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