Hanukkah celebration planned in Iowa City

Lubavitch of Iowa City will sponsor a Celebration of Religious Freedom in honor of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

There will be two public menorah lightings.

The first is Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on the Pedestrian Mall, downtown Iowa City on the corner of Washington and Dubuque St. (near Herteen and Stocker Jewelers). Then on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. there will be another lighting at Coral Ridge Mall near The Children's Museum.

Lubavitch of Iowa City also will host a Chanukah Bowl at Colonial Lanes on Dec. 21 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Latkes (potato pancakes), warm drinks and other traditional Hannukah refreshments will be served. Menorahs and Dreidels will also be distributed. The event is open to the public at no cost. Suggested donation $10 individual $36 family $100 sponsorship.

Lubavitch of Iowa City is part of a global, Jewish, umbrella organization, which offers various religious oriented programs, with the objective of bringing an awareness and excitement for Judaism to others.

Hanukkah is also called The Festival of Lights. On Hanukkah, Jews commemorate events which occurred nearly 22 centuries ago, during the reign of an ancient Greek King, Antiochus IV. Under the penalty of death, Antiochus forced his Jewish subjects to perform pagan rituals. He forbade them from observing their sacred practices until a small band of Jews, called the Maccabees, saved the Jewish people from opression. The Festival of Lights celebrate that victory.

For more information call Rabbi Avrohom Blesofsky, at (319) 358-1323 or email Rabbi@chabadiowacity.com