Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Logo of The Spectrum
Thursday, March 28, 2024
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

Chabad of Buffalo hosts Hanukkah events

The Festival of Lights comes out early this year

<p>Jewish students pose in front of a menorah in the Student Union in December 2018.</p>

Jewish students pose in front of a menorah in the Student Union in December 2018.

Jewish students will have the opportunity to celebrate the entire Festival of Lights on campus this year.

Hanukkah is an annual eight-day holiday that commemorates the Jewish people’s rebellion against the Greeks in the Maccabean War and the miracle of the consecrated oil lasting eight days, instead of one.

The holiday typically falls out during or after finals week.

But this year, the holiday will take place from Sunday night until the evening of Monday, Dec. 6.

And Chabad of Buffalo, a Jewish organization located adjacent to the Ellicott Complex, is hosting a number of Hanukkah-themed events and initiatives geared toward students.

“Hanukkah is typically something people celebrate at home,” Rabbi Moshe Gurary, the organization’s director, said. “This year, students are not going to be at home, and we want to tell them that just because they’re not at home, that doesn’t mean they can’t celebrate Hanukkah.”

From Monday to Wednesday, Chabad will table in the Student Union from 11:30-2:30 p.m. The organization will also host menorah lightings in C3 and Governors Complex on various nights.

On Friday night, Chabad will host a traditional Shabbat dinner at 2450 N Forest Rd., complete with sushi and a latke bar — latkes are potato pancakes that are traditionally eaten during the holiday. On Saturday night, the organization will host a Hanukkah party featuring a live band and a Hanukkah-spinoff of the reality TV show “Chopped.”

“Hanukkah symbolizes light: spreading light and increasing light,” Gurary said. “You look around the world sometimes, and it feels dark. Sometimes it even feels dark inside: you feel anxious, you feel dark, you feel lonely, you feel overwhelmed. The menorah brings a lot of light into our own lives. Sharing with others, celebrating with others — it brings a lot of light into the world.”

Hanukkah is celebrated annually on the 25th day of Kislev, according to the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to anywhere from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

Chabad’s full Hanukkah schedule can be found on the organization’s Instagram account.

Justin Weiss is the managing editor and can be reached at justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com


JUSTIN WEISS
justin-weiss-headshot.jpg

Justin Weiss is The Spectrum's managing editor. In his free time, he can be found hiking, playing baseball or throwing things at his TV when his sports teams aren't winning. His words have appeared in Elite Sports New York and the Long Island Herald. He can be found on Twitter @Jwmlb1.

Comments


Popular









Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Spectrum