HANUKKAH

The smoke billowing through the breeze at Coral Reef Park didn’t just emanate from the dancing flames of the giant, prize-filled Menorah. A fully kosher barbecue was the center of the scene at Chabad of Palmetto Bay’s annual Hanukkah event, led by Rabbi Zalman and Chani Gansburg. The bounce house and game truck were another real hit, adding extra excitement to an action-packed party. Mark Levitats was honored with kindling the eight menorah flames. The beautiful event culminated with a round of spontaneous dancing, raffles and a “prize drop” for all the children.

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Mauricio points his blowpipe at a monkey high up in the trees, an age-old hunting tradition the Nukak people continue to practice even though they have long been displaced from their ancestral homes. Violence and illnesses inflicted first by settlers and later by armed groups forced the Nukak from their homes and into voluntary isolation decades ago, turning them into displaced people living in poverty in small towns in the southeastern Guaviare department.

Former suburban Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter takes the stand at her manslaughter trial in the shooting death of Black motorist Daunte Wright. (Dec. 17)

The event, arranged by Rabbi Zalman Gansburg and Rebbetzin Chani Gansburg, brought together dozens of people of all affiliations from the Palmetto Bay area, joining in a public display of unity and Jewish pride. Adorned in light-up glasses and light-up Menorah necklaces, the youngsters gleefully filled their own dreidels with an assortment of colorful candy. Rabbi Gansburg inspired the crowd with his words of positivity, sharing the implications of light overcoming darkness in our personal lives. Honored dignitaries, such as the mayor and council members, engaged those attending with messages of community spirit, miracles, and their personal associations with Hanukkah. Participants departed with a newfound appreciation for the holiday of Hanukkah and motivation to make the world a brighter place — one candle at a time.

Jewish students at the University of Miami celebrated Hanukkah on campus for the first time since 2018 from Nov. 28 to Dec. 6, sharing seasonal meals, holiday traditions and religious ceremonies with their classmates ahead of winter break. Dr. Roy Weiss, chairman of the UHealth Department of Medicine, lit the menorah while hundreds of students enjoyed food and lit their own menorahs. “It is so great to celebrate in the middle of campus,” Cusnir said, who is in charge of the UM First-Year Experience program. “We have a lot of students from a lot of different areas of campus,” said Rabbi Lyle Rothman, the campus Rabbi for UM Hillel. The final celebration occurred on Dec. 5 when Chabad held their Hanukkah party.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff -- who is Jewish, and the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris -- led the menorah-lighting ceremony this year at the White House, to kick off the start of Hanukkah.

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses held a “family” celebration of Hanukkah at the White House Wednesday, with the first Jewish spouse of a vice president, Doug Emhoff, joining in lighting the menorah.

A trespasser scaled a fence at the Homestead Jewish Center on Saturday to hang a banner with an anti-Semitic message ahead of Hanukkah, a Jewish festival also known as the Festival of Lights, according to community leaders.

Israel’s president has visited one of the most contentious spots in the occupied West Bank to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah

A Kentucky man was run over on Saturday during a Hanukkah celebration, according to police and CBS affiliate WKYT. The victim told police the driver used anti-Semitic slurs before the attack. When the driver let go, the victim fell and hit his head, and the driver ran over the victim's leg before fleeing, police said. Police respond to a car attack at a menorah-lighting celebration at the Chabad of the Bluegrass in Lexington, Kentucky. The post read that in insisting the menorah lighting continue, the victim would "not allow darkness to quench our light."

Driver attacked man at Hanukkah ceremony, police say A member of Lexington, Kentucky's Chabad of the Bluegrass was attacked with a car Saturday during a Menorah-lighting ceremony by a driver shouting possible anti-Semitic slurs, reports CBS affiliate WKYT-TV. Police are searching for the suspect and investigating whether bias motivated the crime.

A cute little gift for the person who loves to cookLet’s face it, we’re all doing a lot more home cooking these days! And no matter what holiday you’re celebrating this winter, we can all agree that whisky can never be considered a bad gift. And since music can be a healing force, it also makes for a thoughtful holiday gift this year. 18 perfect gifts from Israel for this holiday season from afar appeared first on ISRAEL21c. The post 18 Perfect Gifts from Israel for This Holiday Season appeared first on Zenger News.

An annual event bringing together Holocaust survivors from around the world to mark the start of Hanukkah was held online for the first time Sunday Dec. 13, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)BERLIN – An annual event bringing together Holocaust survivors from around the world to mark the start of Hanukkah was held online for the first time Sunday due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event organized by the Jewish Claims Conference also paid tribute to those killed by the Nazis and raised awareness of anti-Semitism. Among the survivors who spoke was Walter Breindel, who fled Austria at the age of four with his mother and brother. “Hopefully next year it will not be a memory but we shall be together in reality,” he said.

This weekend, bring your pup to brunch at Brimstone Woodfire Grill Doral, and take part in the newly opened Sweetgreen's weekend giveaways. Plus, celebrate Hanukkah with strawberry sufganiyot from the Salty and festive food delivered straight to your door via MK Takeaways. Customers can access the complete Hanukkah menu via mktakeaways.com, and orders can be placed online or via phone. In addition to the Hanukkah menu, MK Takeaways' regular menu will also be available for purchase. Courtesy of Brimstone Woodier Grill DoralBark 'n' Brunch at Brimstone Woodfire Grill DoralBark 'n' Brunch is back at Brimstone Doral.

He wore a face mask and said he was social distancing. Sabbath restrictions on the use of electronic devices do not apply to Hanukkah, so many families are opting for virtual celebrations. South Florida Jews are hosting smaller Hanukkah celebrations outdoors amid the coronavirus pandemic. Tammy Woldenberg, of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, was at a Kosher food distribution drive-thru event. Avoid touching your face mask, eyes, nose, and mouth.

An Anne Frank statue in Idaho that officials say is the only monument to the Holocaust victim in the country was defaced with a swastika symbol sticker this week. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said in an online news conference with community leaders Thursday that authorities are investigating the vandalism at the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. "The vandalism that occurred at the Anne Frank memorial is reprehensible," McLean said. The Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial was built as a physical statement of our shared values. "This is the only Anne Frank memorial in the United States.

Many Jewish Americans are already accustomed to more intimate celebrations of a holiday focused more on the home than on the synagogue, including Haredim or ultra-Orthodox communities. So the recent successful Supreme Court challenge to New York restrictions on in-person worship by some Orthodox groups won't mean much as far as their Hanukkah plans. But such large gatherings are "not an essential part of the holiday on any level whatsoever,” he added. “Family gatherings are going to be limited, with or without the Supreme Court decision,” he said. “It will be much, much smaller,” she said, adding that many others in their community were planning intimate gatherings just with immediate family members.

It took him four days to be able to get a test, for which he paid $150. He shared his positive result with his staff, encouraging them all to get tested, too. For some of them, however, it took two weeks to get tested and receive results, preventing them from working. The experience convinced Sanchez to pivot his business for the second time since March and to reopen the two Moe’s restaurants Dec. 2 as COVID-19 testing sites.

“It’s likely too early for us to have yet seen the bulk of Thanksgiving-related hospitalizations. We’re now in our 11th day since Thanksgiving and we are four days out from Hanukkah and 18 days from Christmas, 19 days from Kwanzaa, 24 from New Year’s Eve,” Pritzker said Monday. “These next four weeks may be the most crucial month of this entire pandemic. We quite literally have very limited leeway in our hospital systems to manage another surge.”

[MORE: These 3 apps will help you find the best holiday shopping deals, experts say | Doing a little online shopping? If you’re shipping gifts you want to arrive in time for Christmas, here are some recommended send-by dates for expected delivery by Dec. 25:USPS (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)Domestic Mail Class/Product Send-by Date USPS Retail Ground Service Dec. 15 First-Class Mail Service Dec. 18 Priority Mail Service Dec. 19 Priority Mail Express Service Dec. 23Click here for USPS holiday shipping dates for Alaska and Hawaii, military bases and overseas addresses. UPSShipping Option Send-by Date UPS Ground Dec. 15 UPS 3 Day Select Dec. 21 UPS 2nd Day Air Dec. 22 UPS Next Day Air Dec. 23Click here for more details on UPS holiday shipping. FedEx (U.S. to U.S.)Shipping Option Send-by Date FedEx SmartPost (certain exceptions apply) Dec. 9 FedEx Home Delivery Dec. 15 FedEx Ground Dec. 15 FedEx Express Saver Dec. 21 FedEx 3 Day Freight Dec. 21 FedEx 2 Day Dec. 22 FedEx 2 Day A.M. Dec. 22 FedEx 2 Day Freight Dec. 22 FedEx 1 Day Freight Dec. 23 FedEx Extra Hours Dec. 23 FedEx Standard Overnight Dec. 23 FedEx Priority Overnight Dec. 23 FedEx First Overnight Dec. 23 FedEx SameDay Dec. 25 FedEx SameDay City Priority Dec. 25 FedEx SameDay City Direct Dec. 25Click here to see last-day-to-ship dates if you’re planning to send gifts to Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico or other destinations. AmazonAmazon has not released its 2020 holiday shipping calendar, but last year, the company recommended buyers send products no later than Dec. 22 or Dec. 23 for a Dec. 25 arrival.

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(Reuters) - Jews in the United States suffered the largest number of anti-Semitic incidents last year since the Anti-Defamation League began collecting records 40 years ago, the racism watchdog said on Tuesday. Previously, the highest number was recorded in 1994, when the ADL reported multiple unsolved arsons, cross burnings and a drive-by shooting. The groups audit of anti-Semitic incidents from 2019 counted 1,127 cases of harassment, 61 cases of physical assaults and 919 instances of vandalism. In recent weeks the ADL has issued warnings of a continuing surge in incidents, saying conspiracy theories connected to the coronavirus outbreak could worsen anti-Semitism in the United States. In late 2018, a gunman killed 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.

Thomas is expected to be presented in White Plains federal court later today. Every American should be free to live and worship in safety, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. The federal penalties for this type of attack are severe and justified. Thomas declared to dozens of assembled congregants, no one is leaving, and attacked the group with an 18-inch machete. Following the attack, Thomas traveled in a car to New York City, and he was stopped in Harlem by members of the New York City Police Department.

Experts estimate Americans spent more than $34 billion this Saturday and Sunday. "I just love all the little stores here, there's a lot of little family stores, a lot less corporate-y," said one shopper. Despite a healthy consumer economy the U.S. saw more than 9,000 retail store closings in the this year alone. With more than 2 billion packages delivered this holiday season, FedEx, UPS and other services could have delays to some deliveries. Santa may be extra generous this year: The National Retail Federation predicts the average American will spend $1,047 dollars this holiday season the most money since they started keeping track.

Happy Hanukkah 2019Published: December 20, 2019, 8:31 amChef Micelle Bernstein gets you ready for Hanukkah with recipes that are delicious any time of year.

It is a perfect storm for holiday travel: Days before Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah, more than a third of Americans are expected to be on the move. The American Automobile Associate (AAA) says more than 115 million will travel by road, rail or air between now and January 1. That's about 4 million more than last year and the most since it began keeping records 20 years ago. Traffic snarls are likely to spike late afternoon in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, where delays could lead to travel times three times longer than usual. For those who choose to fly, Christmas Eve is the best day to fly.

With Christmas and Hanukkah nigh, CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday outlined a wish list that he hopes the market will deliver investors in the new year. Six more trading days remain in 2019, and the "Mad Money" host deemed it a "fantastic year," in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average has climbed almost 22%, the S&P 500 has expanded 28.50% and the Nasdaq Composite has rallied 34.51%. He expects more to come. "That's why I'm going to give you the list ... of a dozen presents I'm hoping for, because there are, after all, 12 days of Christmas and I want my true love, the market, to give them all to me," Cramer said. "These are all a bit oddball and some [are] sappy, but I mean them, and I want you to have these presents, too."

The Hanukkah Factory, the nations first-ever immersive Hanukkah pop-up experience, opens in Kendall on Dec. 18. The multi-sensory experience brings the Hanukkah story to life and will appeal to all ages with multiple themed rooms, unique interactive experiences, and a dedicated Hanukkah-themed life-size game room. The visionary behind the Hanukkah Factory is Jonathan Tabachnikoff, considered one of the areas most innovative young rabbis. Tabachnikoff envisioned a gathering place at which South Florida could celebrate the Festival of Lights and provide the community with a great holiday experience. The Hanukkah Factory will give guests an unforgettable chance to experience Hanukkah with all of the senses, Tabachnikoff said.

Halloween has just passedThanksgiving is around the corner. Hanukkah and Christmas are just down the roadwhat a wonderful time of year it is! Local businesses traditionally use this time of year to thank their clients by personally delivering goodies, and the greater Aventura community becomes the recipient of some of the most delicious treats. Deanna Sylvestri from the Hampton Inn Hallandale Beach/Aventura was out delivering goody bags filled with yummy candies and Jen Perez from the AC Hotel/Aloft Hotel Aventura brought cupcakes made in-house. So go ahead and eat lower-calorie breakfasts and dinners, because more holiday treats are on the way and they are just too tempting to pass up!

freeimages.com/krzysiuc(CNN) - Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's -- the winter holidays are closer than you think even if you're still in shorts. For many folks, Thanksgiving travel means a flight or drive to a family gathering spot. But the long Thanksgiving weekend can be a fantastic time to plan a bona fide vacation. Plimoth Plantation: 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02360; +1 508 746 1622Few things say Thanksgiving like the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. You want the most immersive Christmas travel experience possible.