For the second year in a row, Congregation Beth El, Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel and Oheb Shalom Congregation of South Orange came together with members of the community to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah.
“We spoke about the importance of coming together as a community and using the light of the Menorah to be a catalyst for all of us to shed light upon the darkness as well,” said Rabbi Jesse Olitzky of Congregation Beth El. “At the event we said the traditional blessings for lighting the Menorah, had coffee and doughnuts, and sang traditional Hanukkah songs.”
Also at the event was Tracy Levine from One Happy Camper NJ, an organization that helps children find the right Jewish summer camp for them. Levine helped children make edible dreidels made out of pretzel sticks, marshmallows, and Hershey Kisses.
On Tuesday, Beth El will once again be giving out sufganyot (jelly doughnuts) and coffee at the South Orange train station to commuters “as a way of spreading the Hanukkah light and wishing our friends and community a happy holiday,” said Olitzky.
