Edmonton will light the Giant Menorah on Dec. 14 at the Legislature Grounds

By Regan Lipes

(AJNews) – Ladies, gentlemen, children of all ages, if you’re Jewish and in the Edmonton area, Sunday, December 14 is a date to circle on your calendar, now!  Well, hopefully you already have a 5786 calendar, courtesy of Chabad Lubavitch of Edmonton hanging proudly in your home, trumpeting to you the approach of Chanukah. This year we celebrate the 34^th public menorah lighting at the Alberta Legislature, and organizers couldn’t be more excited to welcome the community as we all gather in unity.

“We have some very serious concerns,” commented Rabbi Ari Drelich with a chuckle. “Serious worry of not enough donuts, so we’re taking extra precautions!  We are stocking up, and we’ll be serving up even more than last year!” Bliss Baked Goods may be working overtime to meet sufganiyot demand, but guests will certainly enjoy satiated bellies. But wait, there’s more! Hot and crispy latkes will be served up by the plateful. Every year, they are delectable, and you might even catch yourself saying they’re almost as good as Bubby makes, but we won’t tell her.

Now, traffic anywhere in Edmonton these days is treacherous, but organizers have it all taken care of. A bus will depart from Beth Israel Synagogue at 3:30 pm on Sunday, and from Beth Shalom Synagogue at 4 pm. This way nobody will be left out in the cold searching for parking. Plus, rides on yellow buses make for a great opportunity to sing some delightful Chanukah favorites.

After arriving at the Alberta Legislature, guests are asked to proceed to the west entrance where security will clear attendees for entry.  The evening will kick-off officially in the Rotunda under the auspicious dome of the Legislature Building.  Edmonton’s new Mayor, Andrew Kncack, will be in attendance.  Edmonton West Member of Parliament Kelly McCauley and Edmonton-McClung Member of the Legislative Assembly, Lorne Dach are certainly not strangers to the Jewish community and will be celebrating Chanukah with us yet again this year.  Edmonton’s Chief of Police, Warren Driechel will also join the list of public dignitaries, so no mischief.

Along with Rabbi Drelich, the community will hear words of welcome, inspiration, and hope from Stacey Leavitt-Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton.  And we can all look forward to a performance from Talmud Torah School’s choir led by Ben Ragosin. All this will take place inside, where it will be toasty and warm.

Following this, it’ll be time to bundle up for the only portion of the program that must take place outside – the grand lighting!  Atop a large crane, Rabbi Drelich will sail through the sky with the greatest of ease to light the very first evening’s candles twenty-one feet in the air. Veterans of past menorah lightings at the Legislature may remember Johnny the crane operator.  Every year, Rabbi Drelich would jump-start the proceedings by belting out: “Hit it Johnny!” beginning their ascent to the skies!  The community congratulates Johnny on his retirement, and wishes him well, meaning that this year a new operator will take over. “He will be missed,” expressed Rabbi Drelich.  “He wasn’t just there to do a job.  You could tell each year it meant something to him, and he put his heart into it. But the show must go on as they say!”

Next up, guests will be invited back indoors, to the pedway for latkes, sufganiyot, kids activities, and no doubt some spirited dreidel spinning. Rebbetzin Rifka Drelich and her mighty team of volunteers from the Mitzvah Club, which meets every Sunday, have planned some creative and exciting children’s activities that are sure to bring smiles to powdered sugar covered faces. Last Sunday the Mitzvah Club kids worked to pack up all kinds of fun goodies in gift bags for kids, and on the morning of the event, they’ll help with some of the final touches in preparing to entertain little ones.  And what Chanukah celebration would be complete without some storytelling!  Rebbetzin Drelich will also be holding story time for little ones to share some timeless Chanukah tales.

“If people are worrying about being cold, 90% of the event will be indoors” emphasized Rabbi Drelich.  “There’s no excuse not to come out and enjoy!”  Even Arctic temperatures shouldn’t deter Edmontonians, after all: it is a dry cold.  Rabbi Drelich continued by reiterating: “I really want to encourage people to come out to show their support for each other. We are a strong Jewish community here in Edmonton, and it’s important for government officials and decision makers to see that, so they understand we are unified as a people and a community.”

Rabbi Drelich would like to extend his utmost thanks on behalf of organizers to the countless volunteers that have, and continue, to donate their time and energy. “Some people are able to give monetarily, others generously give their time, some give both – every bit counts and makes a difference.”  He would also like to thank the Schayer family from Acme Scrap Metal, as well as the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, Yes Kosher Friendship and the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada for their sponsorship.

Chanukah, the festival of lights, commemorates that the Jewish people could not be conquered spiritually, as well as physically. This is a time to reaffirm our commitment to standing proud as Jews, just as the Maccabees did during the period of the Second Temple.  Whether you are religious, culturally Jewish, Jew-ish, or an ally, now is the time to let light be stronger than the darkness, for peace to be more powerful than hate.  Let’s come together in joy and celebration – be a part of remembering the miracle, and don’t miss out!

Regan Lipes is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter