Hanukkah is steeped in spiritual meaning and brought to life by the more than 80,000 Jewish Clevelanders and their families every year. The “Festival of Lights” is a celebration of the miraculous eight nights that a one-day supply of oil lit the menorah in Jersualem’s Holy Temple upon its rededication after it was retaken from the Seleucids.
Here are just a few of the ways you can celebrate this joyous holiday in The Land this season.
At the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage this season, all cultures are celebrated. Many cultural organizations from across Northeast Ohio will gather together to share traditions, customs, and cultures. Enjoy a Hanukkah story performed by Mandel JCC’s Playmaker’s Youth Theater, hear Christmas music and poetry from Antioch Baptist Church’s youth, hear readings of peace from the youth at Chagrin Valley Islamic Center, learn about kindness from Horovitz YouthAbility, spend time in our multicultural story corner sponsored by Beachwood Library, jHUB, PJ Library, and much more
"Winter Carols and Lullabies" showcases the Cleveland Chamber Choir under the direction of Jelani Watkins in a concert with more than two-thirds of the works being from the twentieth or twenty-first centuries. The central features of this concert will be the world premiere of carols on the German Krampus legend by Ryan Farrell (Dr. F of Mushroomhead), a performance of a winter work by Dolores White, and a commissioned Hanukkah piece by Mickey McGroarty – all three Northeast Ohio composers. The concert will also intersperse Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols with carols arranged by 21st century composers. A pre-concert talk will be presented by Charles Edward McGuire, PhD, from Oberlin College & Conservatory, 30 minutes before each performance.
Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with another installment of this fun and exciting tradition. The 2022 Menorah Parade will see dozens of cars with giant, lit-up menorahs on them make their way through the East side suburbs, starting in Legacy Village and winding through parts of Lyndhurst, Beachwood and University Heights before wrapping up in Cleveland Heights. Parade goers will enjoy music, traditional Hanukkah treats and special giveaways.
Come ring in the holiday season and kick off Hanukkah with Downtown Chabad as they host their annual Menorah Lighting in Public Square Wednesday, December 21st. The lighting ceremony will be preceded by a parade of cars with menorahs attached to them, followed by a short ceremony as the Grand Menorah is lit.