Photo by Bob Stern / The Republican
SPRINGFIELD, MA — In a brief, wind-chilled ceremony, the spirit of Hanukkah was celebrated Monday with the annual lighting of the menorah at Court Square.
Storm-Delayed Chanukah Ceremony Brightens Springfield’s Court Square
Photo by Bob Stern / The Republican
SPRINGFIELD, MA — In a brief, wind-chilled ceremony, the spirit of Hanukkah was celebrated Monday with the annual lighting of the menorah at Court Square.
In a concession to the frigid temperature, Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky and other speakers kept their remarks brief at the event, which was initially scheduled for Sunday but postponed by the snowfall.
Flanked by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and two city councilors, Kosofsky thanked the city for hosting the Menorah, which will be lit each day at dusk through Dec. 28 to mark the holiday.
Hanukkah is a time of hope, and the Menorah lightings offer an opportunity for people to come together in a spirit of optimism, Kosofsky told the gathering, which included a boisterous batch of students from the Yeshiva Academy of Longmeadow.
Before introducing Sarno, the rabbi noted that the word mayor has Jewish origins, meaning a luminary or someone who brings light and life.
When Sarno jokingly suggested another meaning, Kosofsky smiled, adding: “I stay away from politics … It’s a dangerous business.”
City Councilors Bruce W. Stebbins and James J. Ferrara III also spoke briefly at the service, before the mayor and Kosofsky climbed aboard a crane and lit the first two lights on the Menorah.
Adding to the festivities, latkes, doughnuts, cocoa were served, along with a generous supply of balloons with Hanukkah messages.
