Hanukkah Events Happening in Central Jersey

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. “Tell your friend Veronica … it’s so much funakkah to celebrate Hanukkah.”
If you do celebrate Hanukkah, there are many welcoming places to do so in New Jersey. Here are a few you may want to consider attending.

This Tuesday, December 16^th, a celebration and menorah lighting will take place in Maplewood, New Jersey. Celebrate the Festival of Lights with blessings, songs, and the lighting of the menorah. Among those attending will be elected officials and several Maplewood and South Orange faith leaders. The celebration begins at 6:00 PM at Ricalton Square in Maplewood.

Meanwhile, there's another event on Tuesday, the 16^th, in Princeton, New Jersey, the annual menorah lighting. This will take place at the Nassau Inn, Palmer Square. According to PalmerSquare.com, The Jewish Center of Princeton invites everyone to the “ceremonial festivity on the Nassau Inn Patio. Enjoy lively music, festive spirits, and a joyful evening of community and celebration.” It begins at 4:00 PM at the Inn, 10 Palmer Square in Princeton, New Jersey.

Additionally, the Edison Public Library will host “Hanukkah Around the World.” On Monday, December 15^th, the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County will share Hanukkah celebrations throughout the world. Among the teachings is that you’ll “learn how the holiday is observed throughout different sects of Judaism.” Ethiopian/Israeli writer and director Hava Tizazu will share stories of how her family celebrated Hanukkah.

For those who are confused about the different spellings of the holiday, there is a simple answer. Actually, both are considered to be correct, but there are many other spellings.

Surprisingly, according to hanukkahfun.com, “the Hebrew translation of the word can be spelled many different ways.” Google says that there are sixteen different ways. That’s two for each night of the festival of lights.

With the first two being the most common, these are most, if not all, of the many different variations:

If you celebrate any or all of them, I hope you have eight special nights.