Alongside Jewish community members, multiple city officials will celebrate the second night of Hanukkah at the Kansas City, Missouri, City Hall. This follows a menorah lighting at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka on Dec. 23.
The Kansas City menorah lighting event will be held on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers inside City Hall (414 E. 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106).
The city government will be represented by Mayor Quinton Lucas, who will open the event; City Manager Brian Platt (who is also a Jewish community member); and city councilmembers.
Jewish community leaders involved in the program include Jay Lewis, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City; Neta Meltzer, interim executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee; Derek Gale, vice president and COO of Jewish Federation; and Rabbi Doug Alpert of Congregation Kol Ami.
Rabbi Alpert will lead the lighting of both a menorah inside the chambers and the 12-foot-tall menorah outside of the city hall. The outdoor menorah will be lit at 7 p.m. each night of Hanukkah.
Following the menorah lighting, Rabbi Alpert and Gale will announce a 1-minute-and-40-second moment of silence. Each second will represent a hostage currently held by Hamas.
The Kansas City menorah lighting follows “Light Up The Night,” the pre-Hanukkah celebration at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka. Governor Laura Kelly and other elected officials were in attendance. The event was organized by Chabad Centers of Kansas and held on the evening of Dec. 23.
The annual celebration included the lighting of an outdoor menorah, songs and Hanukkah foods such as donuts and latkes.
“This is a very special event where we celebrate Jewish pride and the strength of the Kansas Jewish community at the state capitol,” said Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, co-director of KU Chabad.
