Two menorah lightings celebrate Hanukkah in Columbia

Meanwhile, during the menorah lighting portion of the event, Cornett was given the honor of lighting the “shamesh candle” on the menorah which is used to light the other candles.

The event, which marks the sixth evening of the festival of Chanukah, is being sponsored by the Chabad Jewish Center of Glastonbury.

Today Hanukkah is remembered by the continued lighting of the menorah for eight nights along with the giving of presents to celebrate the occasion.

The celebration is free.

This was during a time when a group of Jews known as the Maccabees revolted against the Seleucid Empire.

Supervisor Michael Grace shared Heber’s sentiments, adding that many people in this country misinterpret the First Amendment as freedom from religion, rather than freedom of religion, which he said is an important distinction.

Senator Heidi Heitkamp joined in the festivities.

“We are blessed to live in a city that celebrates along with us”, she said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 27, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.at the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon, Chabad of the South Hills will present the fourth-annual South Hills Lights Community Chanukah Celebration. “The light of Chanukah inspires and empowers us, to ignite the light that we all possess, the light of our souls and our eternal connection to G-d”.

It commemorates the retaking of the Temple of Jerusalem from the ruling Seleucid (Greek-Syrian) Empire, which tried to stamp out the Jewish faith, in the second century BC.

The festival featuring traditional Jewish music will include the unveiling of a unique menorah with branches created out of used Kassam rockets that were fired into Israel from Gaza in the summer of 2014.

“All it takes to transform a dark place is to light just one small candle”.