Chanukah 2021

Community Chanukah Candle Lighting and Celebration
Tuesday, November 30, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Golden Gate Park Bandshell

Bring your friends, your family, and yourself to Golden Gate Park the evening of November 30th, as we welcome the light of Chanukah together! From 5:30 – 6:00 pm, Jonathan Bayer and clergy will lead families in holiday song and activities. At 6:00 pm, our clergy will light the menorah, and lead us in joyful song and dance. Latkes and treats will fill the stomach, and the joy of gathering together will warm the soul. 

All eligible individuals must be vaccinated for all Emanu-El events, indoor or outdoor. Masks are required for everyone over the age of two, except when eating or drinking. We encourage you to bring a reusable cup or bottle filled with water or your favorite hot beverage to enjoy.

Advance registration required.

One Shabbat — Teen-Led Chanukah Service
Friday, December 3, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, Main Sanctuary

If you enjoy our Teen-Led High Holy Day Services each year, then this special Chanukah Shabbat is for you! Join us as we bask in the light of community with a Teen-Led Chanukah Kabbalat Shabbat Service, which will include a community candle lighting, infused with beautiful music and a spiritual welcoming of the holiday, led by our clergy. Bring in your chanukiah and candles, and together we’ll welcome in the sixth night of Chanukah. This special Shabbat is intended to be enjoyed by families and adults alike. The flames of the Chanukah menorah are a symbol of Jewish identity and continuity. We light the menorah for eight days to remember the miracle of the human spirit, honor the light of rededication and the Maccabees who put their trust in God.

This service will be livestreamed on our website and on Facebook Live. Advance registration required for in-person attendance.

Chanukah Havdallah with NFTY
Saturday, December 4, 2:00 – 6:00 pm, Temple Courtyard
$20 admission for members and non-members

All Bay Area high schoolers are invited to join us for Chanukah Havdallah – an afternoon of fun, friends, pizza and swag. This outdoor event will be led by teens from NFTY-CWR and Cantor Arik Luck.

To ensure a safe environment, we are requiring all attendees to provide negative rapid Covid test results (taken within 24 hours of this event) and proof of vaccination. Both are required for entry.

Advanced registration required. Registration closes November 29th. Please note: this event is only open to 9 – 12 graders.

If you have any questions, email Tori Starks at [email protected].

Tzedek Council’s Annual Light of Giving
Sunday, December 12, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm OR 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Calling all givers of light! Please register to participate in our 4th Annual Light of Giving, hosted by Tzedek Council. As a community, we will assemble much-needed home goods for single adults who have experienced chronic homelessness.

This year’s effort will support our new partner HomeRise, whose “housing first” mission focuses on stabilizing residents and providing essential foundations and wraparound support. HomeRise’s newly-constructed Mission Bay South Block 9 (MB9) will permanently house 141 single adults beginning this spring. The majority of residents are people of color and many are mobility-impaired.

Light of Giving will take place at Emanu-El on Sunday, December 12 from 11am-12pm or 1pm-2pm. You are invited to join us in the Main Sanctuary Foyer for a festive gathering of community, action and celebration, as we assemble Modeh Ani Baskets filled with linens and kitchen staples. Modeh Ani is a Jewish prayer that is said upon waking each morning as an expression of gratitude for the gift of life.

Participants will have the opportunity to create personalized greetings and special art projects to illuminate the living spaces at MB9. Together, we will bring light and life to vulnerable adults in our community this Chanukah season!

Light of Giving participants should bring pre-purchased home goods estimated at $75-$100 to the event; Tzedek Council will supply Modeh Ani baskets for assembling.

Not able to join us at Light of Giving? You can still bring light by donating towards the purchase of appliances for MB9’s residents.

Last year’s Light of Giving raised over $30,000 to purchase strollers, car seats and portable cribs for Homeless Prenatal Program, in addition to 100 boxes of kitchen staples assembled by our congregants. Your participation this year will enable us to spread a message of resiliency and light to those in need this holiday season. Watch a video of 2020’s Light of Giving event below!

Projecting Light in the Darkness
November 28 – December 6

Original Installation by Ben Wood

This Chanukah, stroll past our building and look up! An innovative art project by multimedia storyteller and Emanu-El member, Ben Wood will be projected on Emanu-El’s façade from November 28 – December 6. This large-scale light installation re-animates details of our local, Jewish history, by interweaving holiday and archival images. You are invited to drive or stroll past our building on Arguello, after sundown, to celebrate and bask in the miracle of the Festival of Lights! A special thank you to Judi Leff for lending her expertise and research to make this historic project possible.
To learn more about Ben Wood, and the historical images used, click below.