Chanukah in Carefree
Fourth Annual Menorah lighting at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavillion
December 10th through December 17th 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.
Every night of Chanukah 2020, at 5:30 pm MST, there will be a special lighting of the 6 1/2 foot tall Menorah in the Town of Carefree at the Sanderson Lincoln Pavillion. Clergy/Congregants from Temple Chai and members of the Jewish Social Group of Cave Creek and Carefree will be among the leaders.
This event will require masks of all attendees 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 for this year is:
- 1st Night Thursday, December 10, 2020 “The Jewish Social Group of Cave Creek and Carefree”
- 2nd Night Friday, December 11, 2020 “The Bauman Family for Shabbat and Chanukah”
- 3rd Night Saturday, December 12, 2020 “Community Night”
- 4th Night Sunday, December 13, 2020 “Special Ceremony with Sponsor and Co-host Temple Chai Cantor and Music”
- 5th Night Monday, December 14, 2020 “Phoenix Holocaust Association – Survivor, Phillip Speyer”
- 6th Night Tuesday, December 15, 2020 “Desert Foothills Jewish Community Assoc. – Bonnie Clewans, President”
- 7th Night Wednesday, December 16, 2020 “YMCA -David Burckhard, Executive Director and Family”
- 8th Night Thursday, December 17, 2020 “Soberman’s Estate”
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!
