Another spectacle at Issaquah/Sammamish menorah lighting ceremony

Published 12:06 pm Wednesday, December 21, 2011

In years past an Issaquah community has lit menorahs made of donuts, legos and even candy. But this year’s version may have surpassed them all in beauty with an ice menorah.

As Berry Farkash, rabbi for the Chabad of the Central Cascades, lit the first candle of Hanukkah on Tuesday night, water was dripping down the candelabrum. But, it certainly lasted longer than the menorah made of donuts.

While the holiday is not the most significant for Judaism, it draws Amy Ritchie each year to reconnect with her heritage.

Her son, Charlie, talks about it weeks up to the event, she said, looking down at his black kippah. “He likes to see what the menorah is made of.”

There were about 150 people at the Tuesday night event.

Farkash hopes the spectacle would help draw in more people to the Jewish community, but he also wants to share the lighting ceremony with the city, he said.

Sammamish’s Allan Geller appreciates the public display. “It’s a great opportunity for the Jewish community to be recognized.”

It’s been about eight years since the rabbi started lighting menorahs publicly in Issaquah. His congregation has continued to grow ever since.

He started holding temple in his living room, and now the congregation has a house of its own in the Issaquah Highlands. He’s been running a Hebrew school for a few years, and this year he started a preschool.

Sam Geller, a Sammamish Boy Scout, completed his Eagle award by landscaping the property after space for the school was created.

He orchestrated volunteers who built a playground and garden. Farkash presented him with a menorah-shaped award Tuesday.

Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration that commemorates a miracle that happened in about 700 B.C. A group of Israelites, called Maccabees, fought the Greeks to win back their temple.

When they won, they wanted to light the menorahs in the temple, but the Greeks had defiled all but one small bottle of holy oil. The oil, however, miraculously lasted for eight days, until the Jews could get some more.

Each day of Hanukkah an additional candle is lit on the candelabrum. They also eat foods fried in oil, such as donuts and latkes (potato cakes).

For Stephanie Gombrelli, who attended the event for the first time, it was nice to be among people with a like mind during the holiday season. “It’s nice to have something to go to.”

Charley Ritchie laughs at a puppet show at the Hanukkah celebration Tuesday.

A Hanukkah themed puppet show entertained guests at Blakely Hall Tuesday.

Stephanie Gombrelli dishes up latkes at the Hanukkah celebration in the Issaquah Highlands Tuesday.

Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger had the honor of lighting the middle candle of the menorah on the first night of Hanukkah in the Issaquah Highlands at Blakely Hall.