Chanukah 2022 at Congregation B’nai Israel

Love and Light! Sunday, December 18th through Sunday, December 25th

From Menorah Contests and Sufganiyot to Candle Lighting and Latkes & Libations, create Chanukah memories with your CBI Family!

Scroll down to find out our Chanukah "ch"appenings.

events

Kantor Family Center for Justice Holiday Toy Drive

Thursday, December 1 through Wednesday, December 21

Help us spread the holiday spirit! We are collecting unwrapped toys and gift cards for children of all ages for our toy drive. Donations will be given to JAFCO Kids, Family Promise, and Give Back Christmas Feast to ensure children throughout the community have a toy to call their own this year.

Please drop off your donations in the blue bin in CBI’s Admin Circle during the below times or bring to Latkes & Libations, any Shabbat or Chanukarama.

  • Mondays: 9:30am-11:30am or 3:30pm-5:30pm
  • Fridays: 9:30am-11:30am

For questions, please call the office at 561.241.8118.

NCECE's Chanukarama

Sunday, December 11

11am-2pm

Come and enjoy carnival games and rides, a petting zoo, tattoo artist, bubble show, latke market, arts & crafts by artNEST, pizza and carnival treats, and our DJ, Miss Susan!

Please bring an unwrapped gift to donate to our toy drive.

SLJ Family Menorah Contest

The Annual CBI Family Menorah Contest is an opportunity for parents and children to create a Jewish keepsake. It is our hope that families will work on the menorah together, learn and have fun together and create wonderful memories.

Please drop off your menorah in the SLJ office between Wednesday, December 14 and Friday, December 16.

Delray Beach Candle Lighting with CBI's Junior Choir

Sunday, December 18 at 5:30pm

Old School Square

Gather around for the majesty and tradition as we light the first Chanukah candle together as a community. The celebration takes place at Old School Square on December 18th, will be hosted by City Commissioners and local rabbis, and will feature CBI's Junior Choir led by Miss Susan. Take part in the Festival of Lights and enjoy traditional holiday treats like latkes and sufganiyot, kids' arts and crafts, dreidels, and Chanukah gelt.

PJ Library Light Up Chanukah Celebration

Wednesday, December 21 at 5pm

Boca Center

Join Rabbi Kahn, PJ Library, and the Jewish community for a Chanukah celebration including story time, arts & crafts, candle lighting and a concert.

Latkes and Libations

Wednesday, December 21 at 7pm

Pollock Family Courtyard

Celebrate Chanukah with your CBI Brotherhood and WRJ / Sisterhood! Let’s light the candles and enjoy some light bites and cocktails together. Please bring an unwrapped toy or gift card for our holiday toy drive.

Chanukah Shabbat

Friday, December 23 

Dinner at 5:45pm, Service at 6:30pm

Pollock Family Courtyard

Join us on the 6th night of Chanukah for our family-friendly Chanukah Shabbat celebration! Let’s celebrate together with latkes under the stars. We will announce the winners of our SLJ Menorah Contest and light our menorahs together.

Ner Shel Tzedakah

The 6th night of Chanukah is devoted to learning about poverty. Ner Shel Tzedakah means the “candle of righteousness”. Please bring an unwrapped toy or gift card for our holiday toy drive. By making donations on this night, you will help our candle of righteousness glow brightly for those in need.

Town Center Mall Give Back Christmas Feast

Sunday, December 25

12pm-2pm

CBI partners with Town Center Mall and Boca Helping Hands to provide a holiday meal, toys and visit with Santa for members of our community.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Andrea Cannon.

resources

The Meaning of Chanukah

The word “Chanukah” means “dedication” in Hebrew and commemorates the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels (led by the Maccabees) over the armies of Syria and the subsequent liberation and “rededication” of the Temple in Jerusalem.

How to Play Dreidel

A favorite Chanukah activity is playing dreidel with friends and family. Legend attributes this custom to Jews during the time of the Hanukkah story who would grab a dreidel and start to play if Syrian soldiers entered the house during Torah study or prayer. Four Hebrew letters — nun, gimel, hey, and shin — adorn the sides of the dreidel; they represent the words nes gadol hayah sham, meaning “a great miracle happened there.” If you don’t know how to play this family-favorite, click below for a video tutorial.

Chanukah Recipes

Foods fried in oil are traditionally eaten during Chanukah. In the Chanukah story they symbolize the miracle of oil that burned for eight days instead of one. Here are some yummy recipes that you can make with your family:

Lighting the Candles

The lighting of Chanukah candles goes according to a specific order and has blessings that accompany it.

On the first of Chanukah’s eight nights, only two candles are placed in the menorah: the shammash, or “helper” candle, which has its own designated spot (usually in the center), and another candle. Each night, another candle is added so that on the eighth and final night of Chanukah, nine candles (the shammas plus eight others) are lit.

The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left (just as Hebrew is written), but are lit from left to right. The shammash candle is always the first one lit and is used to light the others, starting with the left-most one.

Before lighting the candles (but after placing them in the menorah), we recite the blessings. Click below to download a printable PDF of them.

Family-Friendly Chanukah Playlist

Whether you're hosting a Chanukah party or simply want to turn on some Jewish tunes as you light the candles with your family, this Spotify playlist will keep you rockin’ all Chanukah long!