From Adams Hill to La Crescenta, the Glendale community showed up to celebrate Hanukkah this year.
Around 200 community members, including Mayor Dan Brotman and members of the City Council, gathered in the Adams Square Mini Park for the neighborhood’s third annual Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, led by Jeremy Aluma, an Adams Hill resident who is Jewish.
With antisemitism on the rise, Aluma says celebrating the holiday is as important as ever.
“By coming together in large numbers, including local politicians, we can raise awareness about the importance of religious freedom and stand united against discrimination and prejudice,” Aluma told the News-Press. “Hanukkah holds great importance for me as it symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and the resilience of the Jewish people.”
During the celebration, attendees sang Jewish songs, watched the menorah lighting and enjoyed jelly donuts, challah, latkes, rugelach and babka.
That same night, nearly 300 people gathered for another Hanukkah celebration hosted by the Chabad of the Crescenta Valley. Rabbi Mendy Grossbaum spoke about the meaning of the holiday and its significance to the Jewish people. Children enjoyed crafts, face painting and sweet holiday treats.
First published in the December 16 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
