Menorah lighting marks one decade of celebrating unity

Festival of Lights kicks off with unveiling of unique and symbolic candle holder

Hanukkah had a special start Sunday evening as Chabad of Windsor members brought the community together to light the first candle on a giant Menorah of a Decade.

The menorah, which looks like a large candelabra that holds nine candles, was built with clear tubing and the tubes were filled with all the items used to construct the congregation’s menorahs over the last decade, said Rabbi Sholom Galperin.

“Every year, we create a unique menorah that can be given back to the community,” Galperin said. “The idea was to sort of do a recap.”

In past years, the menorah was made of coins, legos, canned food, toys, clothing, pasta and hundreds of peace messages on tiles. This year, each arm of the menorah held those items.

Galperin said Sunday evening’s lighting of the first candle on the menorah was a kickoff for the celebration of unity where “we bring a lot of light into the world and we can usher in the holiday of Hanukkah,” which is also known as Chanukah.

“It’s the time to bring all the family together, the kids together and they get presents, they get money,” he said.

“We also have the traditional foods — potato pancake, latkes and the doughnuts. And the reason being … is because each one of those is fried in oil representing the miracle of the oil.”

The festive Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights and it recalls the rededication of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem in Israel in the 160s BC.

Hanukkah lasts for eight days and an additional candle is lit on the menorah each night, symbolizing the miracle where just a day’s supply of oil allowed the menorah in the rededicated Temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens helped to light the 10-foot-tall menorah’s centre candle — the one that lights each of the eight others each night — after bringing greetings to the large group of people gathered near the former Sears store.

Dilkens said it has been an incredible year for Windsor with its “different and diverse communities.”

He pointed to the city’s annual light display at Jackson Park as an example of the inclusiveness of the city with its homage to many religions and cultures.

“It’s designed to bring our community together,” he said.

“When you go through Bright Lights this year, you will see a nativity scene … and you will also see very proudly, a very tall, a very bright and a very beautiful menorah on display at Jackson Park as part of the Bright Lights.”

Following the ceremony, children created Hanukkah arts and crafts, while families took pictures beside a giant dreidel or four-sided spinning top, a traditional children’s game played with during the holiday.

Donations of food, coins and winter accessories were collected for the Men United for God food bank.