The air may have been chilly, but the spirit was warm at December’s Chanukah Menorah lighting in Santa Clara. The event drew a crowd of all ages, from young families to senior citizens, to the Civic Center Park, with Mayor Lisa Gillmor and new Police Chief Cory Morgan doing the honors of lighting the Menorah.
Sponsored by Chabad of Santa Clara, there were traditional latkes (potato pancakes), chicken soup, fun for kids, live music, singing, dancing, a dancing dreidel, and even a fire-juggling performance by the dexterous Rabbi Yigal Rosenberg; who, with his wife Rebbetzin Elana Rosenberg, heads the Santa Clara Chabad House.
The Menorah lighting was inaugurated in Santa Clara in 2016, but the COVID pandemic in 2020 shut it down. December marked its return, and the Rosenbergs are optimistic that the event will become an enduring community tradition.
“It’s a very powerful symbol of community, not a religious event,” said the Rabbi. “As we say, Santa Clara is ‘The Center of What’s Possible.’ The Menorah shows that community is possible even in difficult times.
“We’re living in a dark period in the world” Rosenberg continued, “and it’s our responsibility to light up the world. When you light a candle, it can light other candles and extend the light. Each of us is a candle; together, we’re a large light.”
Chanukah celebrates the story of the victory of Jewish rebels, the Maccabees, over the oppressive Syrian-Greek king Antiochus in 165 BCE.
Upon their victory, the Maccabees returned to the temple in Jerusalem to rededicate it, only to find just enough oil to light the temple candelabra for a single day. Yet the oil did not run out, and the flames shone for eight days.
Traditionally, the Menorah is placed where it can be seen publicly, letting the light shine in the world.
About Chabad
Chabad is a branch of Hasidic Orthodox Judaism that derives its name from the Hebrew words for wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Chabad of Santa Clara is led by Rabbi Rosenberg and his wife, Rebbetzin Elana Rosenberg.
Chabad is distinctive among other Hasidic groups for its welcoming outreach to all Jews, community engagement, focus on education and its elevation of women to leadership positions.
Chabad also provides non-sectarian social services, including drug treatment, community centers, crisis intervention, and homeless programs. Members of Chabad congregations and communities aren’t required to practice Orthodox Judaism.
Chabad’s progressivism and outward-facing spirit has its roots in the teachings of the charismatic Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994).