The Northwest Voice

By: Esther Schlanger, Community Contributor

The Chabad Center of Bakersfield invites the entire community to celebrate the Festival of Lights at our annual public menorah lighting ceremony.

The grand Chanukah celebration will take place on Sunday, Dec. 17,  at 6 p.m.  at  The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave.

Following the lighting, a program will feature Chanukah gifts, treats and live music.
Chanukah, a celebration for all time, is highlighted by the kindling of the Menorah each night of the holiday.

“It is a holiday that enriches our lives with the light of tradition,” said Rabbi Shmuel Schlanger, director of the Chabad Center.  “In ancient times, our ancestors rededicated the temple in Jerusalem with the menorah. Today, we rededicate ourselves to making this world a better and brighter place.”

Chanukah propagates the universal message that ultimately good will prevail over evil, freedom over oppression and light over darkness.

In its Chanukah outreach campaign, Chabad of Bakersfield joins thousands of Chabad centers across the globe staging similar public displays of the menorah and its symbolic lights.

From Australia to Africa, Columbia to Hong Kong, New York City’s ground zero to the White House lawn, hundreds of thousands of people will experience the joy of Chanukah with Chabad.