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Hanukkah Candle Lighting
The entire community is invited to Franklin's first public celebration of Hannukah, sponsored by "Jewish Franklin, TN", on Wednesday, December 13th at 6:00 pm at the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park (1368 Eastern Flank Circle). Begun as a Facebook group earlier this year by Ellen Monen, Jewish Franklin recently exceeded 300 members, primarily residents of Franklin itself, plus a handful from Brentwood, Spring Hill, Murfreesboro, and the Greater Nashville area. Members gather to celebrate Shabbat and other holidays, share Jewish resources, and network informally. The Hanukkah celebration will feature greetings from Franklin Mayor Dr. Ken Moore. The candle-lighting ceremony will be led by Rabbi Michael Danziger, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Ohabi Shalom/The Temple in Nashville. Mayor Moore will light a six-foot tall menorah along with Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel from Chabad of Nashville, which is providing the candelabra. Other local leaders will be present.
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. The holiday is observed for eight days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which this year falls on Friday, December 8th in the Gregorian calendar. The holiday is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabra with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah. Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening before the first day, so eight candles will be lit at the event: seven for the start of the seventh day of the holiday, plus a "leader" candle called a shammash which is used to light the rest.
In addition to lighting candles, Hannukah is celebrated by eating foods cooked in oil. According to tradition, when the victorious Jewish army (the Maccabis) rededicated the Second Temple, they found only a one-day supply of oil necessary to rekindle the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light, which marks the presence of the Lord in a Jewish worship space. It would require eight days to press enough oil to prevent the Ner Tamid from burning out again. The second miracle of Hannukah (the military victory being the first) is that the one-day supply of oil lasted eight days; hence the celebration of the holiday for eight days. In the US, the food most often associated with the holiday is latkes, or fried potato pancakes, but in Israel it is sufganiyot, or donuts. Jewish Franklin will distribute donuts at the end of the ceremony. Music City Brisket will have a food truck onsite and B’s Salty & Sweet will deliver holiday baked goods ordered in advance.
The entire community is invited to join Jewish Franklin, TN in celebrating the joyous holiday of Hannukah on Wednesday, December 13th at 6:00 pm at the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park. Registration is optional.
Event Links
Facebook: https://go.evvnt.com/2129442-0
