Document text
38 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 22, 2003 Rabbi Avi Zwiebel addresses a gathering on the Plaza in Ashland during Sunday evening�s lighting of the Menorah. Stan Shulster tends to the candles, which are part of the Hanukkah celebration of light. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Celebration of light By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune ASHLAND — As the third night of Hanukkah ended, the Rogue Valley’s Jewish community hoped to spread the message of light to others. Jewish congregations gathered Sunday to eat, sing, dance and light the holiday’s symbolic menorahs. Scores of the tiny candles flickered to life at Havurah Shir Hadash’s annual Hanukkah Faire while a six-foot-tall menorah illuminated the Ashland Plaza. "Every one of us is a menorah," said Rabbi Avi Zwiebel as he prepared to light the candles. "It’s a message of how goodness and light can overpower darkness and evil." The holiday commemorates what many consider to be the world’s first war for religious freedom when the Maccabees, a Jewish sect, successfully resisted Greek rule and attempts to smother Judaism. Advertisement But the message is twofold and not unlike that of other winter festivals celebrating light’s triumph over darkness, said Debra Gordon-Zaslow, wife of Rabbi David Zaslow of the Havurah. The eight-pronged menorah symbolizes the miracle of the Maccabee temple’s eternal light lasting for eight days on just one day’s supply of oil, Gordon-Zaslow said. The traditional candelabra played center stage in The Havurah’s Hanukkah play, written by Gordon-Zaslow. Performed by children of the congregation, the script was adapted from a true story of Hanukkah in Billings, Mont., where 10,000 residents put menorahs in their windows after white supremacists threw a rock through the window of a Jewish home displaying the eight candles. "So its message is universal," Rabbi Zaslow said, adding that Hanukkah’s sentiments resonate with many groups who have sought to practice their beliefs in peace, not just Jews. "For me, it’s really a celebration of our community," said Cathleen Katz of Ashland. Hanukkah festivities continue today in Ashland with a "Chanukah Wonderland" from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the A Street Market Place by the Chabad Jewish Center of Southern Oregon. The fair features arts and crafts, cookie-baking, dreidel-house and candle-making. Cost is $5 for kids or $10 per family. The fair also will be held Tuesday. The Jewish Center’s menorah will remain lit in the Ashland Plaza through Friday. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times