The annual Community Hanukkah Celebration will take place at the Jewish Community Center, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, on Thursday, December 19, from 5-7 pm. The torch walk will take place from 5:15-5:30 pm, followed by entertainment from 5:30-6 pm, at which time the food buffet will open. Food tickets will be sold for $8 per person, $6 for seniors and children, with a family maximum of $28. There will be games, face painting and arts and crafts, as well as dreidels and chocolate gelt while they last. Reservations are appreciated and can be made by calling the JCC office at 724-2417. 

“People may ask why we are celebrating six days before the first night of Hanukkah,” said Sheryl Brumer, JCC executive director. “This is because Hanukkah begins on December 25 and ends on January 2 this year. In previous years, when we have attempted to hold the community celebration during the school winter break, our turnout has been greatly reduced, so we decided to run the event a few days before everyone goes away. We will still be having the annual torch walk outside of the JCC and ceremonially lighting all eight torches on the hanukkiah.”

The evening will begin with the Hanukkah torch walk, during which children and teens from the community will lead a procession of lights from the entrance to Temple Israel’s parking lot, ending at the front of the JCC. There will be a brief ceremony with music and recitations, after which there will be performances by the JCC Early Childhood Center and the Hillel Academy special choir, as well as a showing of the annual community Hanukkah video, all in the JCC’s auditorium.