Warwick residents celebrate Hanukkah at 20th anniversary of Warwick Menorah lighting

WARWICK — In 2013 the traditional celebration of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, began on Wednesday evening, Nov. 27, and ended on Thursday evening, Dec. 5.

However since Thursday, November 28, was Thanksgiving Day, when many people might have been traveling or otherwise preparing for that holiday, Moshe Schwartzberg, who conducts the annual Menorah lighting ceremony in Lewis Park, decided to postpone the local ceremony for a few days.

The decision may have been better than first thought since weather conditions on Wednesday evening included high winds with snow and sleet.

And so on Friday evening, Nov. 29, a large crowd of local residents including Supervisor Michael Sweeton and Mayor Michael Newhard were present just outside Lewis Park as Schwartzberg, owner of Forever Jewelers, began officiating once more at the 20th anniversary of Warwick's Menorah lighting.

On the third night
However, this time it was the third night of Hanukkah.

In another departure from previous years and because temperatures were below freezing that evening, Schwartzberg decided to conduct a shorter Menorah lighting ceremony outdoors as usual but then host the Hannukah celebration indoors at his store on Main Street.

Before lighting the third lamp, he explained the religious significance of the festival.

Schwartzberg retold the story of how the Temple of Jerusalem was about to be rededicated following its recapture after occupation and defilement by the pagan Syrian-Greeks under Antiochus IV.

A small band of fighters, led by Judah Maccabee, he explained, fought to preserve the Jewish religion and culture and their right to worship God.

Although greatly outnumbered by a much larger and more professional army they recaptured the Holy Temple, which had defiled with idol worship and pagan sacrifices.

When the Maccabees sought to rededicate the temple, however, they found only one small cruse of oil to kindle the eternal light.

Miraculously, he explained, because God was pleased with what they had accomplished, the oil lasted for eight days. And that provided enough time for the holy oil to be replenished.

Schwartzberg then lit the third lamp.

He also recited a prayer in Hebrew and told the crowd that he would repeat the ceremony when everyone returned to his store where it would be warm and comfortable.

Latkes and donuts
The crowd then headed down Main Street to Forever Jewelers where they were served latkes prepared by Doris Schwartzberg along with gold wrapped candies, donuts and cookies.

Schwartzberg repeated the ceremony, explaining the origin of the shamas, the ninth candle used to light the others, and lighting three other candles on a Menorah.

But before doing that he also read the sacred prayers, first in English so that everyone would understand, and then in Hebrew, according to tradition.

During the evening children were also presented with small gifts and finally everyone, led by Schwartzberg joined in singing traditional Hannukah songs.

Schwartzberg and his wife, Doris, have worked to improve the celebration each year.

- Roger Gavan