KINGSTON, Pa. — It's the first full day of Hanukkah, and Newswatch 16's Claire Alfree got the opportunity to shed some light on Jewish traditions.
The Jewish Community Center in Kingston welcomes everyone.
Coby Kornfeld and his family from Kington like to spend every night of Hanukkah around the piano.
"We're playing the Hatikvah; it's the national anthem of Israel. And it means a lot to me because that's where Hanukkah was born," Kornfeld said.
According to Cantor Ahron Abraham, a rabbi with Temple Israel in Wilkes-Barre, Hanukkah celebrates how Jewish people recovered Jerusalem after spending years oppressed by Greeks for practicing Judaism in the second century BCE.
"A powerful Greek army actually lost to the religious freedom fighters, the Maccabees, around 157 BCE. And they were able to cleanse the temple and rededicate it,"
Rededicating the temple not only inspires the holiday but also the menu at many Hanukkah events.
"There's this old joke that says, 'What do all the Jewish holidays have in common?' It's always the same story; they tried to kill us, they failed, let's eat," Mottie Hershvop said.
Hershvop works with The Bagel Bar and Kingston Kosher, saying both businesses are helping fill dinner tables with lots of dairy and fried foods for Hanukkah.
"The miracle of Hanukkah was with oil. It was the oil that lasted eight days that they found, and reminiscent of that, we use foods that are fried in oil," she explained.
A tradition that's special to the JCC in Kingston is their Mayrutz Run, inviting everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs, to run with torches in unity.
"(It starts at) the old Wilkes-Barre JCC, running all the way here to light the menorah here at the JCC," said David Schwager, a JCC board member.
As runners in Jerusalem traveled to neighboring towns to light menorahs during the Hanukkah season, here in the Wyoming Valley, they want everyone to run together.
"Hanukkah is a holiday for everyone. It's not just a religious holiday for Jewish people. In fact, it's more of a celebration of religious freedom," Rabbi Abraham said.
That's something they hope to teach through the Mayrutz Run held at the Kingston JCC next Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Through this, the JCC hopes people will learn a little bit more about the meaning of Hanukkah and see how they can get involved, even if they aren't Jewish.