Royal Oak Chabad Jewish Center to host menorah lighting downtown

ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Chabad Jewish Center will be hosting a Hanukkah celebration with the lighting of the menorah.

The center’s downtown Royal Oak menorah lighting will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21. It will be located at South Center Street between Third and Fourth streets by Eagle Plaza.

Hanukkah this year will begin on Sunday, Dec. 18, and end on Monday, Dec. 26.

“It’s a really cool thing,” said Rabbi Moishie Glitsenstein. “We’re gonna have a lot of activities for kids. … If you come with your family, you have many options.”

As part of the lighting, there will be a dreidel ice carving demonstration, a doughnut decorating bar, a s’mores roasting station, a heated tent and a children’s activity center.

Glitsenstein said there will be a firetruck on the scene, which will be used to throw pieces of chocolate to children in attendance. He also said the free event is not limited to those of the Jewish faith and that anyone can attend.

“We just want to give people the opportunity to celebrate and to explore the holiday of Hanukkah and the message of, you know, lighting up the road and spreading light and where there’s darkness,” he said. “This is like a kind of universal message and they want to connect to it.”

The highlight of the center’s celebration will be the display of a large Lego menorah, which will be built by children from the community.

Jewish Center Co-Director Mushky Glitsenstein said they haven’t started building the menorah yet, but for those interested in participating, they can email her at mushky@jewishroyaloak.com, visit the website www.jewishroyaloak.com or call (248) 890-6480.

“(The aim of the Lego menorah is) to get the community part of it, that they feel, like, involved in this,” she said. “It’s not just us putting on a show, but it’s the community really celebrating the miracle of light over darkness. I think it’s also got, you know, a colorful, exciting display of Jewish pride and the values that we want to share with the world.”

For more information, visit www.jewishroyaloak.com.