It was a celebration of light and unity at the Valencia Town Center’s second floor, as communities from three local synagogues gathered to light the Menorah during the fifth day of Hanukkah on Sunday evening.
Over 200 people of all ages, including children and toddlers, gathered to connect, participate in arts and crafts, indulge in food, and dance as they anticipated the special moment of the menorah’s fifth branch to be lit by Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda.
Hanukkah “is a Jewish eight-day, wintertime ‘festival of lights’ celebrated with a menorah lighting” performed after dusk with special prayers and fried foods, states Chabad.org.
Chabad of SCV Rabbi Choni Marazov greeted guests and embraced the children through fun interactions, showing them the importance and purpose of Hannukah.
“It’s all about lighting up the world, bringing spiritual light, spiritual light of goodness and kindness of the world represented by the flames of the menorah,” he said. “There’s no greater goodness than to bring light to the world and people coming together in unity just unleashing our inner flame.”
As he witnessed the children engage with one another he was filled with joy, he said, because “from God’s perspective, there’s no greater pleasure of a parent than seeing their children getting along, coming together and working together. So, when God looks down and sees all the different communities coming together it gives him tremendous pleasure and that’s our mission.”
“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Congregation Beth Shalom President Jonathan Krauss, who was present with his family and on behalf of Rabbi Jay Siegel, who was in Australia.
“It’s a time when all Jews throughout Santa Clarita can gather together, spread light, spread joy, and really celebrate being together and celebrate the Hanukkah together,” he said. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget how many Jews there are in Santa Clarita and when you come to this event and see people, not only from our synagogue who I know, but people from the other two, it just it means so much to see all these people come together.”
As the ceremony came to a close, Beverley Goldberg, who was wearing a shirt embracing her religious identity, said, “I’m advertising that I’m Jewish, and proud of it. It’s also our time, it’s my time to celebrate.”
Goldberg has attended the annual tradition in previous years, and she had never realized how many Jewish people lived in Santa Clarita, she said. Goldberg didn’t know much about religion growing up, she said, so it was great to see so many young children present celebrating with their parents and elders.
“It’s very important that they know the religion, and what it means to them, and they should always show it,” she said.
