RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jewish children from across the Raleigh area celebrated the first night of Hanukkah together.

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“We’re trying to teach them about community and any opportunity for all children of a community to come together for a beautiful celebration to appreciate the others. How everyone else does something differently is what I think is special about this,” said Arlene Isaacson, one of the event’s planners.

 

Isaacson says at the First Annual Hanukkah Children’s Festival, the Maas Jewish Community Day School invited local Jewish preschools, religious schools, and even
Cub Scouts to put on a holiday show for their parents.

 

“My fifth grader is the oldest child involved, so she feels a lot of ownership and is really excited about her role.  And my little one is excited to be involved in anything,” said Julie Solovay.  One of her children acted in a skit, drawing comparisons between the Hebrew and English languages.  The other helped light the Menorah.

 

“It’s an age-old holiday, and every night, the family lights candles, light the Menorah, and exchange gift, sing a few songs, we invite other family members, play the dreidel game, and eat potatoes fried in oil,”  Solovay said.

 

“Hanukkah celebrates the victory of Jewish people over the Syrian Greeks who wanted to force them away from their religion.  Once the Jews had come in and were able to defeat the Syrian Greek army, they were able to rededicate the temple which had been defiled by invaders, and they only found one jar of pure oil to light the Menorah, but it lasted for eight days,” he said.

 

Now Rabbi Herman says Hanukkah celebrates “freedom of religion, freedom to worship God as each person wants to.”

 

Julie Solovay adds, “It’s the Jewish person once again overcoming against all odds, which is kind of our classic story.”

 

It’s a story she shares with her children.  And with her, they share their excitement for this tradition from the stage.