Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, begins at sundown on Tuesday, and San Diego will celebrate with a menorah lighting at Liberty Station.
The lighting ceremony begins at 5 p.m., with remarks by rabbis, music, live entertainment, latkes — traditional potato pancakes — and more in the central promenade next to the ice rink.
Hanukkah is an eight-day commemoration of the re-dedication of the historic temple in Jerusalem following the Jews’ victory over a larger Syrian army in 165 BCE. It is the only Jewish holiday that commemorates a military victory.
In the United States, the holiday has evolved into a time for giving gifts to children and friends, in some ways a Jewish alternative to Christmas.
“The miracle of Hanukkah is the miracle of Israel,” President Donald Trump said at a Hanukkah celebration at the White House last week. “The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have endured unthinkable persecution and oppression.
“But no force has ever crushed your spirit, and no evil has ever extinguished your faith and that is why the Jewish people shine as a light to all nations.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
