Hanukkah celebrations have different look in 2020

Just like every other holiday, Hanukkah is greatly impacted by COVID-19.

The festival of lights kicks off Thursday, lasting eight days. Rabbi Jeremy Parnes acknowledges that Hanukkah will look very different this year.

“Typically there are people that would be joining friends from other parts of the country. That won’t be happening this year,” Parnes said. “The best we will be able to do is go online and, although we’re a small community with just a few hundred of us in Regina, that nevertheless has an impact.

“However, I think we take comfort in knowing that this is being experienced at a time when we have the technology to find alternative methods to continue to follow our traditions and stay together as a community.”

A virtual concert coming out of Israel, candle-lighting being done over video and other means of interacting with one another will be moved online.

“We typically eat together a lot during this time and we’re not going to be able to do that this year,” Parnes said. “However, we will have online programming that our community will be invited to participate in. And we’re also going to put some food together that people can either have delivered or come and pick up in a way that adheres to COVID protocols.

“We can be online together and eat together; it’s a way we can still communicate.”

The Jewish holiday celebrates the miracle of light that took place more than 2,200 years ago.

Jewish tradition states after the Maccabees’ victory over the Greeks, a small amount of oil that was only supposed to last for one day in the temple burned for eight days.

A new candle is lit each day until all eight carry a flame with most menorahs being displayed in front of a window.

Despite the circumstances surrounding this year’s celebration, Parnes wanted to remind people that better days are ahead.

“May the lights of Hanukkah and the lights of Christmas go out into the world and warm this place in a way that warms the soul and leads to a much quicker process,” he said. “We hope this pandemic comes to an end soon and we can again be together in community face to face.”