Commentary: The Chabad Jewish Community Center of Las Cruces will host a 100% covid-safe Chanukah Drive-In at the Telshor 12 Cinemas, on Sunday, December 13th, the 4th night of the eight-day holiday. Gates open at 4:30PM with the event beginning at 5:00PM. To ensure everyone is safe, the Drive-In will be very limited, with all participants remaining in their cars at ALL times, and sound being transmitted via FM radio. The event will include a menorah lighting ceremony, a virtual Chanukah concert streamed from Los Angeles by the world-renowned 8th Day Band. This event is made possible, in part by the Allen Family, is FREE of charge but RSVP a must at ChabadLC.org/concert due to limited space. While the scope of the ceremony will be limited amid the ongoing coronavirus emergency, the lights will shine forth as brightly as ever. This year’s 11th Annual Chanukah Concert and Celebration is done with the recognition of the crucial need for a message of hope during what for many is a very difficult time.
“The menorah serves as a symbol of light and hope for us today amidst the darkness of the pandemic, as it did for generations before us,” said Rabbi Bery Schmukler. “The flames of the menorah shine out into the night, reminding us that even when confronted with much darkness, a tiny light can dispel it all. Another act of goodness and kindness, another act of light, can make all the difference.”
This year, the holiday has added significance as so many will be isolated at home on Chanukah amid these difficult times. As the Rebbe —Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, would often teach, the menorah is a reminder that light can be brought to the darkest of times, and uniquely, at the core of the holiday’s observance is sharing the light with others who may not be experiencing it.
Indeed, the coronavirus has hit Las Cruces hard with so many tragic victims of the pandemic, not only those infected but also those who have suffered economic and emotional devastation. Throughout the pandemic, Chabad has been on the front lines of providing social, humanitarian and spiritual support to our local community. The covid-safe Drive-in is the latest of many innovative programs created in response to these unique times.
This year has seen illness, death, quarantine, closures and business collapses, all amidst an overwhelming sense of sheer confusion and despair. In light of this heightened sense of urgency to share the message, spirit and hope of Chanukah, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement worldwide is preparing the largest Chanukah awareness campaign in history.
EVENT:
What: Chanukah Drive-In Concert and Celebration
Where: Telshor 12 Cinemas Parking Lot
When: Sunday, December 13th, 4:30pm
Cost: No Charge, Donations Appreciated
RSVP a MUST: www.ChabadLC.org/concert
ABOUT CHANUKAH
Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, begins this year on the evening of Thursday, December 10 and concludes the evening of Friday, December 18. It recalls the victory of a militarily weak Jewish people who defeated the Syrian Greeks who had overrun ancient Israel and sought to impose restrictions on the Jewish way of life and prohibit religious freedom. They also desecrated and defiled the Temple and the oils prepared for the lighting of the menorah, which was part of the daily service. Upon recapturing the Temple only one jar of undefiled oil was found, enough to burn only one day, but it lasted miraculously for eight. In commemoration, Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting an eight-branched candelabrum known as a menorah. Today, people of all faiths consider the holiday a symbol and message of the triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness. Additional information about the Chanukah holiday is available at ChabadLC.org/Hanukkah.
ABOUT THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION
Chabad of Las Cruces offers Jewish education, outreach and social service programming for families and individuals of all ages, backgrounds and affiliations. For more information, visit www.ChabadLC.org.