Students Celebrate Hannukah on the UC Front Lawn

Chabad at Lehigh, Hillel Society and Friends of Israel sponsored the event that was a perfect break from studying for finals for students, complete with coffee and hot chocolate.

For the third night of Hannukah, students gathered on the University Center front lawn to light the menorah and eat latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly donuts, traditional Jewish foods for the holiday.

The event showcased the first ever menorah on the front lawn. It was 12-feet tall and members of the three organizations helped to light the candles.

The holiday is celebrated for eight nights, each night lighting a new candle. Traditionally, oily foods, like the latke or jelly donut, are eaten to represent how the oil on the menorah lasted for eight nights when it only was supposed to last for one.

“It was an amazing sight,” said Alex Lass, ’13, president of the Chabad at Lehigh Student Board. “When I came to campus three and a half years ago, I never thought I would be celebrating Hannukah by lighting a menorah on the U.C. front lawn.”

Students in attendance said three prayers and watched as Max Miller, ’14, Michael Lefkoe, ’15, and Nathan Kasimer, ’14, lit the menorah. “It was amazing to see [more than] 150 students come out during finals to celebrate Hannukah,” Rabbi Zalman Greenberg, director of Chabad said. “The event was a tremendous success, and a great start to a new Lehigh tradition.”

“It was a testament to the exponential growth of involvement the Jewish community has experienced throughout my time here at Lehigh,” Lass said.

The menorah will be up for the remainder of the holiday, which ends Saturday.