The Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation has issued the following invitation.
On Sunday, December 5th, the greater Southington/Bristol Jewish community is invited to celebrate the festival of Chanukah with music, food and candle lighting. Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation will host the event at a member’s home in Bristol beginning at 5:00 p.m. Masks are strongly encouraged as is social distancing.
Rabbi Alana Wasserman, the congregation’s spiritual leader, will chant the traditional prayers. Everyone is encouraged to bring their chanukiyot, candleholders which have room for a candle for each night of the holiday, plus a “servant” candle which lights the others. As this will be the last day of the eight-day holiday, the room will be filled with candle-light.
Chanukah is a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar and is called the “Festival of Lights”. It commemorates the Jewish victory against the Syrian Army in 160 BCE and the miracle that there was only one night’s worth of oil to light the eternal lamp in the Temple in Jerusalem but it burned for eight days. In that time, the Jews were able to obtain more oil.
Potato pancakes and sufiganyot (jelly doughnuts) are traditional parts of the Chanukah meal and are a reminder of the miracle of the oil since they are fried. The holiday celebration continues with singing and games including “dreidel”. The dreidel is a four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side. The Hebrew letters stand for “A Great Miracle Happened There”.
Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation was established in 1984 and is part of the Reform movement. Services are held in the chapel at the First Congregational Church of Southington. More information about religious services and community activities can be found at www.gsjc.org or on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.
For the location and directions or to RSVP, please call 860.276.9113 or email: membership@gsjc.org.