This year, Hanukkah begins on December 10th and will last until the 18th. This holiday commemorates the victory of the Jews over their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. After liberating their Holy Temple, the Jews tried to light the menorah with only a small amount of pure oil, and miraculously, this one-day supply of oil burned for 8 days.

To celebrate this holiday, the Chabad of Fremont Jewish Center is hosting a Drive-In Menorah Lighting. The drive-in capabilities will allow people to gather to celebrate as a community.

“We are planning a drive-thru Hanukkah lighting and concert on Monday. It’s going to be like a drive-in performance where we will light the menorah and celebrate Hanukkah. Our community’s been hit very hard by COVID and it’s nice to be able to celebrate together in a safe and meaningful way,” said Chaya Fuss, from the Chabad of Fremont Jewish Center.

Maintaining this tradition despite the pandemic is important, especially as this past year has been particularly difficult for many families.

“Throughout Jewish history, we have never stopped keeping our traditions. Jews have even lit menorahs in Auschwitz; there has never been a time where we stopped celebrating our traditions because they’re meaningful to us and the message is so timeless. So a pandemic’s got nothing on the Jewish people! We’re gonna just keep going,” said Fuss.

However, this ceremony will undoubtedly look different this year, as precautions will be in place to ensure safety for participants. Safety precautions range from pre-packaged foods to virtual videos that reduce human contact.

“Everyone will stay in their cars at all times. The menorah lighting will take place on stage where people will be able to see from their cars and they’ll be able to sing Hanukkah songs. We’ll still have a community atmosphere, and we aim to maintain that feeling creatively but also safely. It’s so important at this time to keep going and to just think outside the box and do what we can to be there for people,” said Fuss.

Even though this year has been tough for many communities, this celebration is a perfect opportunity to bring people together. Hanukkah symbolizes the freedom that every person has to be who they are and that light really does overcome darkness.