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A14 LOCAL
Saturday 21 december 2019
Giant Chanukah Menorahs to light up Aruba

ORANJESTAD — The Jew-
ish eight day holiday of
Chanukah begins on Sun-
day (December 22nd) and
Chabad plans to kick off
the most celebrated Jew-
ish holiday with a beauti-
ful public Menorah Lighting
Ceremony at the Ritz-Carl-
ton Aruba. All are invited
to join at the Ritz-Carlton
beach-front at 6pm to
watch the first candle be-
ing lit with the attendance
of the honorable Governor
Boekhoudt. Delicious latkes
and jelly donuts (traditional
Chanukah foods) will be
served.

Chanukah, the Festival of
Lights, begins this year on
the evening of Sunday,
December 22nd and con-
cludes the evening of Sun-
day, December 29th. It’s
a holiday with a universal message of religious freedom,
celebrating the victory of a militarily weak Jewish people
who defeated the Syrian Greeks who had overrun an-
cient Israel and sought to impose restrictions on the Jew-
ish way of life and prohibit religious freedom.
Chabad will be taking the joy of Chanukah all around
Aruba this coming week with a full schedule of events for
all ages. Each night- the public Menorah will be lit at a
different location (see below), culminating with a grand
Chanukah Maccabeats Concert on the eighth night.
“The message of Chanukah is the message of light,” said
Rabbi Ahron Blasberg, director of Chabad Aruba. “The
nature of light is that it is always victorious over darkness.
A small amount of light dispels a lot of darkness. This mes-
sage is ever relevant especially in these days where there
is so much darkness in the world and every day brings
news of new hate crimes. Let’s light our spiritual torches
and share our light. Another act of goodness and kind-
ness, another act of light, can make all the difference.”

Night #1: December 22nd at 6pm candle lighting cer-
emony at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba beach front
Night # 2: December 23rd at 6pm candle lighting cer-
emony at the Riu Palace (Barry’s Bar)
Night # 3: December 24th at 5.30pm candle light-
ing ceremony at Eagle Beach opposite La Cabana
Beach Resort
Night #4: December 25th at 6pm candle lighting cer-
emony at The Playa Linda Beach Resort Pool Deck
Kids Chanukah activities: December 26th 2-3pm at
the Marriott Surf Club Den (sign up required www.jew-
isharuba.com/chanukahkids)
Night #5: December 26th candle lighting ceremony
at 6pm at the Marriott Ocean Club Activities Tent
Night # 6: December 27th Shabbat at Chabad (RSVP
www.jewisharuba.com/Shabbat)
Night # 7: December 28th at 8pm Havdalla and can-
dle lighting at the Playa Linda Plaza
Night # 8: December 29th at 7pm ~ Chanukah Live
Concert with the Maccabeats~ at the Hyatt Regency
Parking Lot (VIP tickets www.jewisharuba.com/cha-
nukahvip)
ALL WELCOME!

For more information, contact Rabbi Ahron Blasberg, at Rabbi@
JewishAruba.com or visit www.JewishAruba.com.q