Rabbi Shnai Levitin lights the candle on the first night of Chanukah, Dec. 7.
Laura Marie Rivera
Last Thursday was the first night of Hanukkah. Rabbi Shnai Levitin welcomed community members to the Menorah Lighting and Chanukah Carnival in Queen Anne, at the corner of Crockett Street and Queen Anne Avenue. In addition to the menorah, they had music and crafts, a dreidel on stilts, a fire show, and lots of snacks for visitors: latkes, jelly donuts, cotton candy, chocolate coins.
Rabbi Levitin spoke about the two miracles of Chanukah while lighting the first candle. First, the miraculous military victory to end the untenable oppression by the Greeks. And then, finding the tiny cruse of oil that should have only lasted one day, but burned for eight days until more pure oil could be produced. He stressed that menorah lightings should be done in public, louder and prouder, because “Light dispels the darkness, especially this year in the wake of the largest Jewish massacre since the Holocaust.” He knows that some people here in Seattle are still feeling traumatized by the attacks and he reminds them to shine the light, do a mitzvah or good deed, and reach out to others to dispel hate. “Hate will appear more powerful if we do not shine light. It is beautiful to see the community expressing their support,” he said.
While the menorah was shining over the carnival, the crowd was ushered back to a safe distance and Sage Viniconis came forward to demonstrate the power of breath and fire.
Queen Anne resident Cynthia Albini called the carnival, “Amazing!” And added a reminder that, “If we all started to do good things together, things can change for the better.”
Chabad of Queen Anne and Magnolia is a community group and open to all. The Queen Anne Chanukah Village will come to life Wednesday, Dec. 13. Community members are invited to meet at Chabad Center to pick up a map and other items for the scavenger hunt at participating businesses along Queen Anne Avenue. There will be raffle tickets, prizes, and treats along the way. Guests are invited to meet back at the Chabad Center for a Chanukah Fair and candle lighting. This event is free but reservations are required. More information is available at chabadqueenanne.com.