Jewish congregations have joint Hanukkah celebration

Jewish congregations have joint Hanukkah celebration

BOARDMAN — Hanukkah celebrates freedom, and a festive celebration took place today, the fifth night of Hanukkah.

Congregation Ohev Tzedek, 5245 Glenwood Ave., held a joint event with members of Temple El Emeth in Liberty and their rabbi, Joseph Schonberger.

Rabbi Joel Berman of Ohev Tzedek said a prayer for Hanukkah, noting that God “delivered the strong into the hands of the weak.”

Hanukkah is based on the story of Judah Maccabee, a temple priest and soldier, and his company of men who found the temple in Jerusalem defiled after driving out the Grecko-Syrians.

“It’s the triumph of not being assimilated into the prevailing Hellenistic culture, and of maintaining our identity,” Rabbi Berman said. “Those in authority prohibited the Jews from observing the Sabbath, reading Scripture and other religious practices and this is the story of the Jews fighting back. It’s commemorating the existence of freedom though the odds were against it.”

For the complete story, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.