TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Festival Of Lights Celebrated

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEPHEN HAMMILL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 8, 2007

CITRUS PARK - The Tampa Jewish Community Center kicked off the holidays by welcoming the community for an activity-filled day.

The second annual Hands-on Chanukah Family Celebration took place Sunday at the Tampa JCC's main campus, 13009 Community Campus Drive, off Gunn Highway

The family-centered event featured food, crafts, storytelling and singing. Native Israeli Ravit Glogau told stories of the Festival of Lights and led families in songs.

"The children really love to hear the stories from the Talmud told to them in person," Glogau said. "So many of these stories are unknown to the young."

Most activities were centered on children.

"The kids get to build menorahs out of Legos, which they really love," said Linda Wilson of the Tampa JCC.

Later in the afternoon, Jana Broder hosted a drum circle and invited visitors to participate.

"We try to get folks involved in the fact that this is a celebration," Broder said.

Rabbi Mendel Rubashkin, representing Chabad of Brandon, concluded the day's festivities, teaching onlookers how to press olives for oil to light their menorahs.

The eight-day Festival of Lights began Tuesday. The holiday marks the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabee rebellion.

According to the Talmud, after the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, priests miraculously used one day's worth of consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the temple for eight days.

The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of menorah lights on each night of the holiday.

"We've noticed a lot more community involvement in our holiday activities this year," Wilson said.

On Tuesday, the Tampa JCC will host an intergenerational drum circle on its main campus at 1 p.m. The center's pre-K students will team up with residents of Weinberg Village Assisted Living Facility.

Reporter Stephen Hammill can be reached at (813) 865-1523 or shammill@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT