Beyond the traditional menorah lightings, Hanukkah will be celebrated in very different ways around the region. That includes a torchlit run, an LGBTQ+ event, a latke cook-off, reflections from a hostage, a superhero theme party and more.
This year, the Festival of Lights begins at nightfall on Sunday, Dec. 14, and continues to nightfall on Monday, Dec. 22. Here is a sampling of holiday events.
Luzerne County
In Hazleton, Beth Israel Temple, 98 Church St., will have a menorah lighting party on Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. Ari Zylberberg, the rabbi’s son, will be the latke chef.
Rabbi Yosef Zylberberg said it is only in the United States and Canada that the relatively minor holiday of Hanukkah has grown into a way of affirming Jewish identity during the Christmas season. The Hanukkah story, the miracle of lamp oil lasting far longer than expected, is a good fit for places where December is cold and dark, he said. “People have always figured out ways to make their lives better by burning lights,” he said.
Also in Hazleton, the community will light the electric menorah at City Hall at noon on Dec. 15.
On Dec. 21, runners with torches will leave Wilkes-Barre and Kingston area congregations and head to the outdoor menorah lighting at the Friedman Jewish Community Center, 613 SJ Strauss Lane, Kingston. The Mayrutz Run is expected to reach the center around 5:30 p.m. It will be followed by a community Hanukkah dinner at 6 p.m. The dinner RSVP link will be posted soon at friedmanjcc.org.
At Temple B’nai B’rith in Kingston, Rabbi Laurie Green’s series “Queer Torah Study for Everyone” will focus on Hanukkah on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
Also at Temple B’nai B’rith, the Chanukah Family Shabbat Evening Service is Friday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m. There will be a choir, doughnuts and latkes. “We are just trying to make space for more families with kids to feel more comfortable coming to services,” Green said.
The Temple B’nai B’rith address is 408 Wyoming Ave., Kingston.
Lackawanna County
The Scranton Jewish Community Center will celebrate the Steven Bruce Arenberg Memorial Hanukkah festival with a superhero theme, on Dec. 14, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Celebrate with Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and Rob the Juggler. The free event will feature crafts, a demonstration of an olive press, EJ the DJ, candle making, a doughnut decorating contest, face painting, a latke bar and an ice cream station. The JCC address is 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton. Website: scrantonjcc.org/event/chanukah-festival.
At Temple Hesed in Scranton, two events are aimed at families, both being open to all ages. On Sunday, Dec. 14, a pre-Hanukkah party is at 10 a.m. Participants will make doughnuts and candles and learn about the blessings that are said when the menorah is lit. RSVP: 570-344-7201. The address is 1 Knox Road.
A Temple Hesed potluck dinner on Dec. 19 will be followed by a menorah lighting and family-friendly worship service at 7 p.m. Contact Temple Hesed to sign up for a latke cook-off contest. Reservations are requested for the dinner but not necessary for the menorah lighting and worship.
An Israeli-American woman who was held hostage by Hamas will speak on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Jewish Discovery Center, 216 Miller Road, Clarks Summit. Her story of darkness into light makes it an appropriate event for Hanukkah, said Rabbi Benny Rapoport.
Judith Raanan, who lives near Chicago, was held hostage with her teenage daughter for about two weeks after the 2023 attack in Israel. She believes she survived because she asked her captors for art supplies.
Tickets are $36. There will be a wine bar and appetizer stations.
Another Jewish Discovery Center event is on Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. Rabbi Yosef and Esther Rapoport, the directors of outreach and education, will host a party at their home for Jews in their 20s and 30s. Candles will be painted, the menorah will be lit and sushi will be served alongside the traditional doughnuts and latkes. The suggested donation is $18.
RSVP for Jewish Discovery Center events at jewishnepa.com.
Judith Raanan, right, and her daughter Natalie, are escorted by Israeli soldiers and Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s special coordinator for returning the hostages, as they return to Israel from captivity in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 20, 2023. (Government of Israel via AP Photo)
State Sen. Lisa Baker lights a candle of the menorah during the Mayrutz Run as part of a Hanukkah celebration at the JCC on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Six candles of the menorah were lit during the Mayrutz Run as part of a Hanukkah celebration at the JCC in Kingston on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Runners arrive at the JCC in Kingston with lit torches during the Mayrutz Run as part of a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)