Chanukah in Carefree
Fifth Anniversary of the Menorah lighting at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion
November 29th through December 5th at 5:30 pm MST
Limited seating available.
LIVE stream every night
Use the links provided below for each specific night.
Photo Credit: Herbert Hitchon
The Town of Carefree is pleased to again host the Chanukah Menorah Lighting as a part of its December holiday celebrations.
This year is the fifth anniversary of this event and every night of Chanukah 2021, at 5:30pm MST, there will be a special lighting of the 6 ½ Foot tall Menorah in the Town of Carefree at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion.
The first night of Chanukah will be a very special Fifth Anniversary special event highlighting the community and our chosen charity this year. There will be a celebration including food and drinks after the lighting ceremony. Everyone in the Community is invited to attend. On the other nights Clergy/Congregants from Temple Chai and members of the Jewish Social Group of Cave Creek and Carefree will be among the leaders.
The wearing of masks will be optional, and since attendance will be limited, this event will also be live streamed. See night specific links below.
An amazing schedule of leaders will provide short programs after the Lighting/Songs. The schedule this year 2021 is:
- 1st Night – Sunday, November 28
- Community Night – Fifth Anniversary Celebration
- 2nd Night – Monday, November 29
- Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association
- 3rd Night – Tuesday, November 30
- Martin Pear JCC (Jewish Community Center)
- 4th Night – Wednesday, December 1
- Phoenix Holocaust Association, Janice Hoffman
- 5th Night – Thursday December 2
- Arizona Jewish Historical Society
- 6th Night -Friday December 3
- The Bauman Family (Shabbat)
- 7th Night -Saturday December 4
- Jewish Social Group of Cave Creek and Carefree (Havdallah)
- 8th Night – Sunday December 5
- Temple Chai with Cantor and song
Chanukah Events Calendar and LIVE Stream Links
INFORMATION ON CHANUKAH
Chanukah, or the Festival of Lights, commemorates the recapture of Jerusalem and re-dedication of the Temple in 139 BCE after it was looted and desecrated by the Seleucid Greeks. The re-dedication followed a series of improbable military victories over larger and better equipped forces by a group called the Maccabees (Maccabee means “Hammer” in Hebrew).
Not only was G-d’s providence evident in the military sense, but when the temple was cleaned and the Menorah (seven-branched candelabra) remade it was discovered that there was almost no oil available to burn for the lights, perhaps a day’s supply. In the great miracle of Chanukah, the lamps were lit and the oil lasted – eight full days until more was made available. These eight days are the reason for the length of the holiday according to legend.
Today we celebrate each year in early winter by lighting a nine-branched menorah or “Chanukiyah”. One candle commemorates each day of the miracle and a ninth is called the “Shammash” meaning “helper” or “servant” – it is used to light the others. The Shammash also has a connotation of “teacher”, one who coaxes learning from a student in the way a flame is brought from wax.
More recently, other fun traditions have sprung up including giving gifts, playing games including with the “dreidl” or 4-sided top and eating potato pancakes (“latkes”) fried in oil, of course! Happy Chanukah!
