Daily Republic. Dec. 14, 2009
VACAVILLE — People filled the Vacaville Town Square on Main Street to celebrate the county's first-ever menorah lighting and Hanukkah celebration on Sunday afternoon.
For Ann Walden, who has lived in Vacaville almost 30 years, the event is a long time coming.
“I'm very excited,” she said. Walden, 74, attributes the success of Menorah on Main to Rabbi Chaim Zaklos of Chabad of Solano County, who organized the event.
Her neighbor, Allison Shuken, said she was surprised by the large turnout and was happy the city agreed to host the event. “It's nice to see something else be celebrated,” Shuken, 43, said at the event.
Shuken's husband is Jewish, she said, so her family celebrates both Christian and Jewish holidays.
Her daughter Nina Shuken, 7, wore a Santa hat as she watched Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine wear a yarmulke as he climbed a ladder to light the Shamash “candle” on the 10-foot menorah.
The menorah was placed on Main Street on Friday for the first night of Hanukkah, the eight-night Jewish Festival of Lights that commemorates the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees after their victory over the Syrians. “This is the first annual grand menorah lighting here, and how beautiful, how American, to have the freedom to celebrate and enjoy the festival of Hanukkah publicly and proudly,” Zaklos told the crowd.
People in the crowd lit their own Hanukkah candles to hold as the night grew dark. In what was perhaps a Hanukkah miracle, the rain that had been pouring for days throughout Solano County did not fall throughout the ceremony.
In addition to lighting the menorah, there was a raffle, food, music and even a clown.
Augustine was joined by government representatives from the local to the state level, including Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez and Vacaville Councilwoman Dilenna Harris.
Chabad of Solano County organized the event and hopes to have similar events in the future, Zaklos said.
More information is available online at www.jewishsolano.com or by calling 592-5300.
Reach Talia Sampson at 427-6935 or [email protected].