On New Year’s day, which was also the eighth (and last) night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, around 100 people came out on a chilly evening to sing songs, eat donuts and latkes, and watch as all eight lights on the 9-foot tall menorah in front of the Red House on Main Street were lit.
Organizer Eva Chenail said that she had wanted to bring a menorah to Acton for many years, but didn’t know where to begin. Last year, she brought a plan before the Select Board and was able to get approval, even though Hanukkah was less than two weeks away.
This year, with more time to plan, Ms Chenail and co-organizer Mary Di Nino were able to arrange for several speakers, including Rabbi Yosef Polter of Acton-Concord Chabad, Rabbi Braham David from Congregation Beth Elohim, and Select Board Chair Fran Arsenault. Beth Elohim’s cantor Sarra Spierer led the group in Hanukkah songs, with backup from percussionist Mitch Gordon, pianist Anna Arazi, and music coordinator Lori Fassman.
Traditionally, people enjoy foods fried in oil at Hanukkah. In keeping with that tradition, attendees shared donuts that were donated by local Dunkin Donuts owners, the Pesce Network, and latkes (potato pancakes) donated by Chabad House.
Acton Fire Department Chief Anita Arnum donated her time and energy to scramble up on the roof to toss goody bags that contained chocolate coins (gelt) and glowsticks. Organizer Mary Di Nino noted that she assembled 100 bags, and by the end of the evening, they were all gone.
This is the second year that Acton has celebrated Hanukkah in Acton Center. The menorah lighting ceremony is entirely privately funded. The first year, the organizers, Mary Di Nino and Eva Chenail, started a GoFundMe that took less than four hours to fully fund, with some money left over for this year to fund a police detail.
Miriam Lezak is an Associate Editor of the Acton Exchange.