By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In honor of the start of Hanukkah on December 7th, the Sherborn Library hosted a Menorah Lighting on the evening of Monday, December 11th. All were welcome to come and light the Menorah as well as enjoy some light refreshments afterwards.
This lighting ceremony took place right outside on the lawn in front of the library. Everyone gathered together, all bundled up to keep warm. Before the lighting began, a Sherborn librarian passed out light-up Menorah necklaces for everyone to put on. Rabbi Levi Fogelman of the Chabad Center of Natick passed out quarters and a donation box which was explained as a tradition they like to do.
Once everyone had their necklaces on, it was time to gather around the Menorah for the official lighting. Rabbi Fogelman led the starting prayer and explained how important it was for all of us to be there with him tonight. “I firstly want to wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah,” he stated, “and I want to thank you so much for coming out in this cold weather. It is so important, especially in today’s times when there is a little bit more darkness in the world that we see. There is a little bit more confusion in the world. So now is the time to light the Menorah in public.”
Due to the tragedies that have been happening in our world today, Rabbi Fogelman made sure to address the crowd with a sense of ease that they should not be afraid. “One of the important reasons why we do this is that when we see much confusion,” he stated, “what we have to do is we have to highlight goodness and we have to show our confidence. Some people are a little bit afraid, but the Menorah has been lit in many countries all over the world, in every continent, in all types of situations, and yet there is a brightness that shines. And it reminds us of the certainty of goodness in our future. We all have to know that we have to be optimistic and strong and recognize that no matter how dark it looks outside, the light comes from within, right within our hearts.”
Once the Menorah had been lit, all in attendance sang a song of blessing and took photos of the Menorah. Everyone then gathered inside to delight in some delicious kosher donuts and hot chocolate.
The night as a whole was a beautiful reminder that while times may be tough, there is always a way to persevere together. The Menorah outside the Sherborn Library will continue to be lit throughout the celebration of Hanukkah and will hopefully be a shining light throughout the community.
