LIHU‘E — Hanukkah menorahs will light up across Kaua‘i when the Jewish Festival of Lights begins tonight at sundown.
Island Jewish communities will celebrate with public events scheduled across the holiday’s eight nights, after COVID-19 canceled or limited in-person observances in 2020.
“This Hanukkah season, we really are rededicating ourselves to our families, our community and to being together,” Rabbi Rob Kvidt, of the reform group The Jewish Community of Kaua‘i, said. “Last year, we were on Zoom. This year, we can meet in person, and we’re very grateful for the opportunity to light the candles as a community together.”
The Jewish Community of Kaua‘i will hold its Hanukkah party on the seventh night of Hanukkah, Saturday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Lihu‘e.
The all-ages event, which will include a short service, latkes and children’s activities, is open to all who are interested.
Attendees who own menorahs are encouraged to bring them to the party.
“We’re going to light all of these menorahs,” Kvidt said. “It’s a very beautiful thing to see all of the candles lit for Hanukkah. We’ll probably have 30 there.”
The Kaua‘i Jewish Center, the island’s Chabad organization, begins its week-long slate of public holiday events today.
Residents can pick up last-minute Hanukkah supplies, like candles, a new menorah and gelt (chocolate coins for children), at a pop-up shop open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Jewish Center at 4531 Po‘uli Road in Waipouli, near the Kapa‘a fire station.
Children’s programming, including arts and crafts, runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
Activities will then resume at sundown, Rabbi Michoel Goldman said.
“We have a big, eight-foot, tiki-torch menorah outside the Jewish center,” he said. “We’ll also have the traditional foods for people who want to come and join: latkes and jelly donuts.”
Northshore and Southshore residents don’t have to visit Waipouli to participate in the Kaua‘i Jewish Center’s tiki-torch menorah lighting, because the enormous candelabra will come to them.
Menorah lightings will take place at Po‘ipu Beach Park on Thursday, Dec. 2, and Hanalei Bay on Sunday, Dec. 5.
Goldman advises prospective attendees to arrive no later than 5:30 p.m. on either date in order to catch the event just before sunset.
“We’ll have some food to hand out to people, sing some songs and share some words of inspiration,” said Goldman, who invites all interested to call or text him at 808-647-4293 for more information.
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple in Jeruselum in the second century BCE, following the defeat of the ruling Syrian-Greek army.
“The tradition is, when they rededicated the temple after reclaiming it, there was only enough oil to light the first night,” Kvidt said. “The miracle is that oil stayed lit all eight days.”
Both Kvidt and Goldman said Hanukkah will be especially meaningful in 2021 after another year marked by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve all been through a very difficult time with COVID, and we’re starting to see the light again, and that’s good,” Kvidt said. “This is the season of light.”
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Scott Yunker, reporter, can be reached at 808-245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com. The Garden Island reporter Laurel Smith contributed to this story.
The Lord works in mysterious and fantastic ways.
Who would have ever thought that half way around the world in 164 BCE the celebration of the festival of lights and re-dedication of the second temple would have later made it to an island chain in the middle of the Pacific ocean?
Kauai and all of the Hawaiian Islands are blessed by the Lord twice.