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Chanukah

begins in the evening of Wednesday, 25 December 2024

and ends in the evening of Thursday, 02 January 2024

Chanukah 2023 @ WPS

Chanukah 2023
The scout group would like to wish everyone a chanukah sameach
Chanukah lighting at Trafalgar Square

Rabbi Hackenbroch attended a number of events over the festival, including lighting the chanukiah at Trafalgar Square with the Mayor of London, a Chanukah reception at 10 Downing Street, and the Woodside Gan Chanukah party. He also hosted a visit by Peter Kyle MP to explain the challenges the Jewish community is currently facing

 

To read the Rabbi Hackenbroch's article in Jewish News: click here

Over 150 members attended our very successful Communal Chanukah Event 

WPS youth held their own Chanukah party on Motzei Shabbat, organised by Rabbi Yitzi and our Youth Directors Jodi and Benjy. Doughnuts were on the menu - of course! - as well as other tasty food, and for a craft activity with a difference our teens then gave the top floor of the community centre a makeover with a difference - which included colourful hand prints! 

Woodside Gan held a lovely Chanukah party where Rabbi Hackenbroch told the children all about Chanukah and everyone enjoyed some delicious doughnuts. The children displayed beautiful chanukiot they had made to take home to their families along with homemade dreidel-shaped biscuits

YF Alumni held a Chaukah Shmooze

On the 5th day of Chanukah, Chat-A-Way held a coffee morning with candle lighting and doughnuts and welcomed a visit by Rabbi Yitzi

This week's Bar & Bat Mitzvah programme session was the perfect combination of study and celebration. First, Gila spoke to the girls about the meaning of Shabbat and they then had fun decorating glass tea lights and challah cloths. Meanwhile, the boys learned how to put on  tefilllin and how they are made. Then everyone enjoyed a BBM Chanukah party in the Wiseman Linden Hall  

WPS Communal
Chanukah Event

Date: Sunday 10 December

Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Book now for the WPS Chanukah Fireworks party in a private garden in Totteridge - includes food, fireworks & fun for all as well as Chanukah lighting with doughnuts for the kids, courtesy of Tribe

All the community welcome, we can't wait to see you there!

.

Member Ticket £10 / Children under 14 £5

Non-Member Ticket £12 / Children under 14 £7

To Book

Visit http://www.theus.org.uk/WPSChanukahfireworks2023 to book

04 Chanukah Event 10 Dec 2023.jpg
Chanukah Next Gen
Young Families Alumni
Chanukah Shmooze

Date: Sunday 10 December

Time: 8pm

Venue: at the home of Alex and Howard Archer​

Cost: £10 to cover light snacks & a donation to GIFT Israeli frontline solidier appeal

For more information and to book please email 

yf-alumni@woodsidepark.org.uk

NEW SOCIAL GROUP

CHAT-A-WAY

CHAT-A-WAY is being supported by Nicky Stewart in memory of her parents Corrine & Alan Slavin

Please join for a Chanukah Coffee Morning
with
 
Doughnuts and Candle Lighting

Date: Tuesday 12 December

Time: 10.30am - 12.00pm

Venue: Wiseman Linden Hall

For more information and for catering purposes please let us know if you are able to attend

RSVP Brenda Goldberg by Thursday 07 November

Tel No: 020 8445 4236 Extension 2
Email: wspcares@gmail.com 

2022 WPS Community Chanukah Candle Lighting
with special guest Theresa Villiers MP
Chanukah Candle Lighting
United Synagogue
Some Chanukah safety tips for
SHUL and IN THE HOME
 
  • ✓  Always take care when lighting Chanukah candles

  • ✓  Always place your Chanukia away from curtains, paper, books or other flammable items

  • ✓  Always make sure your Chanukia is standing on a firm base

  • ✓  Always ensure candles, wicks or oil containers are firmly seated in place

  • ✓  Always follow COVID social distancing guidelines and household restrictions for your area/Tier
     

  •   Never leave a Chanukia unattended

  •   Never leave young children or pets unsupervised in the same room as a lit Chanukia

  •   Never walk around with lighted matches, candles or tapers
     

Take special care of the suitability and safety of Chanukiot made specifically for arts, crafts and decorative purposes.
 

Be especially careful if using glass oil holders as these become very hot and may crack and tip over.
 

If candles or containers fall over, smother the flame immediately with a damp cloth.
 

Don’t play with Fire!

Have a Happy (& Safe) Chanukah.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY POINTS TO CONSIDER 

Chanukia Safety

No matter how beautiful your child’s or grandchild’s “arts and Crafts” Chanukia may be, please do not use it. These Chanukiot are not suitable for lighting and may burn down when used.
 

The Chanukia should be made of non- flammable material only.
Put out candles before you leave the house and before you go to bed.
 

Keep matches and lighters away from children and out of reach.
 

Supervise any child that lights a Chanukia. Place their Chanukia close to the child so they don't have to reach over another Chanukia.

Chanukah - Cooking Safely

When frying, keep children away from the stove. Some people create a “3-foot” safety zone around the stove when the latkes are frying. Others use the further burners so children cannot reach the flames.


Take extra care when deep-fat frying or cooking with oil - hot oil can catch fire easily - use a thermostat controlled deep-fat fryer which will make sure the fat doesn't get too hot

Don't get distracted when you are cooking - turn off or turn down the heat if you have to leave the cooking unattended


Keep tea towels, clothes and electrical leads away from the cooker and hob


Make sure saucepan handles are not sticking out from the hob or over a naked flame

Remember to check that the oven or hob are switched off after you have finished cooking


In the event of a fire involving oil, turn off the heat source and smother the flames with a metal lid or baking tray - do not use water to put it out!

 

If clothing catches fire          

In the event that clothing catches fire -remember to STOP, DROP, COVER and ROLL:

Stop where you are. Do not run. Running can make things worse. 

Drop to the ground. Lay flat with your legs out straight.
Cover your eyes and mouth with your hands.
Roll over and over and back and forth until the flames are out. Get help straight away.

Then COOL, CALL and COVER:

Cool the burn with running cool tap water for 20 minutes.
Call for help – 999 or Hatzola (0300 999 4999 / 0303 888 9999) for advice. 
Cover with cling film while transferring to a hospital/A&E

Chanukah Snapshot 

Who should light candles?

 

On each of the eight days of Chanukah, candles are lit to recall the miracle of the oil. All family members assemble for the lighting in order to publicize the miracle. One candle is lit on the first day of Chanukah. Every day a candle is added to the previous day's number so that eight candles are lit on the eighth day of Chanukah. It is customary for each member of the family to light his own Chanukah candles. The only exception to this rule is the wife, who fulfils her obligation with her husband's candles. If a number of people are lighting their candles in one place, each one's candles should be in a separate area, so that the number of each person's candles can be clearly seen. A child who is old enough to light candles should be allowed to do so. Among Sephardic Jews it is customary for one family member to light candles for the entire family.

 

Where and when?

 

The Chanukah candles should be lit by the entrance of one's house, if the entrance faces a public domain. This is to publicise the Chanukah miracle. The candles must be lit in the place where they are to remain, rather than being lit inside the house and taken outside later. The candles should be placed within a tefach of the entrance. If the entrance has a mezuzah, the candles should be placed to the left of the doorway, opposite the mezuzah. If one does not have an entrance which faces a public domain, the candles should be lit on a windowsill that can be seen from the street.

 

The Chanukah candles are lit at nightfall. One who did not light his candles at either of these times can light them any time during the night, as long as members of the family are awake and present at the lighting.

 

The candles (or oil) must burn for at least half an hour after the stars appear. This rule applies whenever the candles were lit. If one lights with oil, he must make sure he has enough oil to burn the required amount of time when he lights the flames. One may not add oil after the flames have been lit. The candles must be set up so the wind will not blow them out while they are burning.

 

How to light

 

Before lighting the Chanukah candles, one recites the blessings asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Chanukah, and she'asah nisim lavoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh. On the first night of Chanukah, the bracha of Shehechiyanu is also said.

 

On the first night of Chanukah, one lights a candle on the far right side of the Chanukiah. On the second night, two candles are lit. One candle is placed on the far right side of the Menorah, and the second candle is placed to the left of the first candle. The candle on the left is lit first. On each consecutive night, a candle is added to the left. The candle on the far left is always lit first, followed by the other candles. The candles are lit from left to right. No personal benefit can be gained from the flames of the Chanukah candles. 

Additional laws

 

Chanukah candles are lit in the synagogue between Mincha and Ma'ariv to publicize the miracle. One cannot fulfil their obligation by watching the Chanukah candles being lit in the synagogue. Therefore, one must return home and light his own Chanukah candles.

 

A person who is not in his own home for the night, and either his wife is not lighting candles in their home, or he is not married, can fulfil the mitzvah of Chanukah candles in one of two ways. The best way is for the person to light his own Chanukah candles. Alternatively, the person can fulfil this obligation when his host lights the Chanukah candles. In this case, either the guest gives his host a token sum to purchase a part in the candles, or the guest can receive his part as a 'gift' from the host. In this case, the guest must listen and answer Amen when his host recites the blessings.

 

If a guest has a room for himself, with a window (or door) facing a public domain, he must light his own Chanukah candles. One who is visiting his friend at night may not light Chanukah candles at his friend's home if he is not planning to sleep at his friends house, and if he lives in that city. In this case he must return home to light his Chanukah candles. 

 

Friday and Motzai Shabbat

 

On Friday, the Chanukah candles are lit before the Shabbat candles. On Friday, the Chanukah candles must burn for a longer time than during the week (i.e. from some time before sunset until half an hour after the stars appear). Therefore, one must use longer candles or more oil than usual. The standard coloured candles are not long enough to be used on Friday. The Chanukah candles are lit before the Shabbat candles.

 

It is proper to daven Mincha before lighting the Chanukah candles.

 

On Motzai Shabbat, Chanukah candles are lit after Shabbat has ended. Some people light them after Havdalah, and others light them before Havdalah. If one who lights his candles before Havdalah forgot to recite Atah Chonantanu in the Amidah, he must recite "Baruch hamavdim bein kodesh l'chol" before lighting the Chanukah candles. If possible, the candles or wicks for the Menorah should be prepared on Friday for Motzai Shabbat, so one will be able to light them as soon as possible after Shabbat.

 

'Adapted from Sha'arei Halacha by Rabbi Ze'ev Greenwald.'

 

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