More than 200 people filled the lobby and social hall of the Jewish Community Campus last year for the community’s Chanukah celebration. This year organizers hope at least 300 people will attend Return to Maccabee Town: A Community Chanukah Celebration! Sunday, Dec. 11.
Bridey Stangler, the Jewish Community Center’s director of camps and family program coordinator, said this year’s Maccabee Town is absolutely a community endeavor with 12 different partners. Coordinated by the JCC, partners include congregations BIAV, Beth Shalom, Beth Torah, B’nai Jehudah, Kol Ami and Temple Israel; Torah Learning Center; Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy; Jewish Family Services; Jewish Federation/PJ Library and KC Kollel. Funds are being provided by the Jewish Heritage Foundation, the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation.
“The most exciting piece of this event is the collaboration of the different Jewish faith-based organizations,” said Mickey Bowen, the event co-chair. “We hope all these organizations bring lots of people to Maccabee Town.”
Stangler said the event is geared for people of all ages. In only its second year in this format, it has grown tremendously. Last year’s event, spearheaded by the JCC, was also sponsored by HBHA and The PJ Library.
“We planned the activities, we took care of the food, but this year we have a whole bunch of people contributing a whole bunch of things,” Stangler said.
While the JCC is still the organizing agency, Stangler is proud that “it’s the community that’s coming together to provide the real Chanukah fun.”
The event is scheduled before Chanukah begins as a way to extend the fun.
“During Chanukah, families seem to have a different option every night, whether it’s a party, a temple celebration or dinner with the family. This year we didn’t want families to have to choose. With Maccabee Town on the sixth night last year, it almost felt like people were Chanukah-ed out, and had had their fill of latkes and dreidels. We’re trying to beat the rush,” Stangler said.
Several favorite activities from last year, such as the life-sized maze, will return.
“We weren’t planning to bring it back, but so many people asked if we were bringing it back that we thought we should,” Stangler said. “It’s going to be big and as exciting as it was last year.”
As in previous Chanukah celebrations, potato latkes will be sold. However this year HBHA’s ninth-grade class is in charge of the latke sale and it will serve as a fundraiser for the students’ trip.
Stangler pointed out there are other new activities this year as well.
“Last year the social hall was filled with carnival type Chanukah activities. Our goal this year is to recreate the time period of the Chanukah story, 167 BCE as much as we can,” she said.
She said the organizations and congregations have really risen to the challenge.
“They are not just coming up with latke bingo or Chanukah card making, but getting into the time period. One group is going to do weaving. One group is going to do candle making. Another is going to do a small cooking project, maybe latkes. It’s going to be in the spirit of last year only bigger and better and something different than the community has ever seen,” Stangler said.
A Chanukah shuk (marketplace) is also new this year. Every participating organization has the option of setting up a booth in the dining room.
“Anybody who needs to do some Chanukah shopping will be able to do so right at Maccabee Town,” Stangler said. “You can buy your candles and maybe even a new Chanukiah.”
Around 5:30 p.m., Maccabee Town events will begin winding down. At that time Jill Maidhof will tell the Chanukah story. That will be followed by an educational lighting of the menorah.
“It won’t be a ceremonial lighting, as Chanukah will not yet have begun,” Stangler explained.
Children will want to stay for the very end and see the sword-fighting demonstration, which Stangler said was very popular last year.
The evening will end with a performance by the Tikvah Dancers. The Israeli dance troupe will invite members in the audience to join them at the conclusion of the event.
Once again, Stangler is thrilled with the cooperative aspect of the event.
“It’s really nice to collaborate because the combined creativity and the efforts of everybody just really benefit this community.”
Maccabee Town
Time: 3 to 6 p.m.
Date: Sunday, Dec. 11
Place: Jewish Community Campus
Cost: $5 per person by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9; $6 at the door
Children under 2 free
Register: 913-327-8000
All ages welcome. Activities include a life-size maze, dreidel tournament, crafts, latkes, Chanukah gift shop and a sword-fighting demonstration.