Public Menorah lighting returns to Waterloo Public Square

'Chanukah in the Square' celebrates the first of eight nights of the Jewish holiday.

Moshe Goldman, Rabbi and Director for the Rohr Chabad Centre for Jewish Life, said the event gets a beautiful welcome every year from those who are both in and outside of the Jewish community.

“It's really an opportunity for all good, decent people, which I believe is the silent majority of our society, to come out and support the Jewish community,” said Goldman. “To say 'we're with you, we're happy that you're here', and we always get that. We always feel that.”

The event will include a Menorah car parade that was started during the first year of the pandemic as a way to celebrate, but has taken on a life of it's own.

“We brought this idea, which has been done in many other communities, of installing electric, small Menorah's that have strong magnets on the bottom, on the roofs of cars. We had about 25 cars driving around the streets of the city announcing silently, but very determinately, that the light is here to stay.” Goldman explained.

The lighting ceremony will include traditional Chanukah food such as potato latkes and doughnuts. The event will also feature dreidels. 

The annual Public Menorah Lighting will take place on Sunday, December 18th. The parade will kick off at 3:30pm, and will finish at the Waterloo Public Square for the beginning of the lighting at 5:30pm.

Goldman also confirmed that there are plans in the works for a Menorah lighting festival in Kitchener.