Celebrating Hanukkah


Temple Ner Simcha and The Stonehaus at Westlake Village Inn will once again host the annual Community Hanukkah Celebration at 6 p.m. Fri., Dec. 7 at The Stonehaus, 31943 Agoura Road.

Rabbi Michael Barclay of Temple Ner Simcha, cantorial soloist Benny Lipson, musical director Mat Gurman and multiple special musical guests will take part in the annual celebration of the Jewish Festival of Lights.

“Most people mistakenly think that Hanukkah is about either giving gifts or the military victory of the Maccabees,” said Barclay.

“But it is really about much more than that. The holiday has biblical roots as the memorial of our ancestor Jacob’s death in the book of Genesis, and is a reminder of how we always need to bring light into the world, especially in the midst of the darkness of winter or the darkness of tragedies such as shootings, fires, and displacement.

“Given what this community has experienced in the last month, this celebration of recommitting ourselves to light and joy is for everyone. All of us, Jew and non- Jew alike, need to come together and pray for more light and healing in our community,” Barclay said.

The evening will include singing both traditional and new songs, as well as the lighting of the community Hanukkia menorah, the nine-branched candelabra used during the holiday.

For more information about the event, send an email to events@NerSimcha.org.