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Last night was the first of Chanukah, which Jewish people worldwide are celebrating differently this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (File photo)
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Chanukah will be marked differently this year
By Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Published 10:30 PST, Fri December 11, 2020
Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021
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While the 25-foot menorah outside the Richmond Cultural Centre won’t be lit this year, Jewish congregations around the city are planning to celebrate in alternate ways.
“Every year that’s the highlight of our Chanukah celebrations,” says Rabbi Levi Varnai from the Bayit synagogue.
This year, the synagogue is initiating a program called “At home, yet together”—they’re ensuring everyone has a menorah, helping with access for those who don’t have one, and sending packages of arts and craft supplies home with about 50 families this upcoming Sunday. Then, people are invited to join on Zoom and light the menorah together every night—beginning tonight.
Each year, Chanukah (or Hanukkah) marks the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days, although there was only enough oil left for one. For eight nights, Jewish people light candles on the menorah—a nine-branched candle holder—to symbolize the eight nights of the holiday.
“We’re celebrating light over darkness, righteous over evil, good over bad,” says Varnai. “We celebrate how a few brave Maccabees were able to overcome big challenges, and I think that message is relevant for every day and every generation: that the good in all is going to prevail.”
And at Chabad Richmond, the menorah will also be lit nightly on Zoom, a collaboration with neighbouring communities. The Richmond-based lighting will happen on Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. A 12-hour Chanukah broadcast will also take place starting Sunday morning at 6 a.m. PST, says Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman.
While the occasion will be marked differently in 2020, the message of celebration and goodness is as important as ever.
“This year I think it’s even more significant, because this year we’re all dealing with this pandemic so we want to shed some light,” says Varnai.
Chanukah began last night and ends in the evening on Dec. 18.
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