Hanukkah on the Hoan: Community Celebration, livestream on Dec. 5 | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Hanukkah on the Hoan: Community Celebration, livestream on Dec. 5 

 

A community-wide Hanukkah celebration will take place in downtown Milwaukee on the last night of the festival of lights.  

Near the base of the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge and its reflection of a giant menorah on the flowing water, a family-friendly holiday event will run from 4-5:30 pm on Sunday, Dec. 5. Parking and activities will both occur in the Summerfest Parking Lot, 642 E. Erie St., Milwaukee (northeast of Sail Loft restaurant). The bridge lighting is at 5 p.m.  

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation and Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center invite the community to join them near this iconic Milwaukee landmark on Dec. 5 for holiday treats and snacks, a live DJ, fire juggling, ice sculpting, glow-in-the-dark dancing, a gelt drop from a Milwaukee Fire Department ladder truck, and more.  

“We are in the business of creating spaces for the community to gather. Whether those opportunities are in-person, virtual, or on the largest bridge in Milwaukee — we’re proud to partner with the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and Light the Hoan to inspire the entire community in this inclusively Jewish experience,” said Nancy Kennedy Barnett, board chair, Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC.  

The Federation has partnered with the JCC and Light the Hoan for the second annual Hanukkah on the Hoan bridge lighting. The bridge will be lit in reflection of the Hanukkah menorah in celebration of Hanukkah 2021. Each day of the holiday, a new support beam will be lit, from right to left, with flickering red, orange and yellow lights to represent the light of a candle’s flame. On Nov. 28, the first night ceremony begins with lighting a support beam that symbolized the shamash, or helper candle, which then will go on to light each representative candle thereafter.  

You may also watch a nightly livestream of the bridge lighting, preceded by blessings from community members, at Facebook.com/Events/960013108198785. More details on the bridge lighting and community celebration can be found at MilwaukeeJewish.org/HanukkahOnTheHoan.  

“Hanukkah is a time of celebration, a reminder that miraculous things can happen. We hope that lighting the Hoan will be an inspiration to all of Milwaukee to find the light within ourselves and others during challenging times,” said Joan Lubar, board chair, Milwaukee Jewish Federation.