Best Ways To Celebrate Hanukkah Around Boston
Chanukah in the City
Back Bay Events Center
200 Berkeley St.
Boston, MA 02116Price: Free
Hours: Dec. 9 – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Celebrate Hanukkah with other Boston families this year. Families of all ages can sing, dance and enjoy Hanukkah-themed surprises for two hours on the second day of Hanukkah. Eat latkes, make crafts and enjoy like-minded community at Back Bay Events Center. Participate in the Warm Hands Warm Hearts and bring a new pair of mittens or gloves to donate to Friends of Boston Homeless.
A Light Through the Ages
Central Reform Temple
15 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 262-1202
www.alightthroughtheages.org
Price: free
Hours: Dec. 9 – 4 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Celebrate Hanukkah with the holiday concert "A Light Through the Ages." This musical performance honors the holiday through story and song as it chronicles the spiritual meaning and historical significance of Hanukkah. "A Light Through the Ages" includes music from Emmanuel Music, and the cantata, a candle-lighting ceremony. The bright light from the candles in the darkened temple creates a dramatic, moving spirit designed to embody the soul of the holiday.
Kulanu Yachad Hanukkah Celebration
Temple Hillel B'nai Torah
120 Corey St.
Boston, MA 02132
(617) 323-0486
Price: $18 adults/free children younger than 13
Hours: Dec. 14 – 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Participate in a community dinner at the Kulanu Yachad Hanukkah Celebration. Honor the Shabbat as you sit down to a meal with your fellow Jewish family. The temple offers special bundle pricing, and registration is required. No worries if you're not a member of the congregation; to serve as your introduction to this welcoming community, first-time attendees enjoy the celebration for free as special guests of the temple.
Hanukkah Supper
Temple Beth David of the South Shore
1060 Randolph St.
Canton, MA 02021
(781) 828-2275
Price: $12 adult members/$15 adult non-members/$6 children/free children younger than 5
Hours: Dec. 14 – 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
No Hanukkah celebration would be complete without latkes. Enjoy a dinner put on by the Brotherhood, with Artie's famous latkes. Acknowledge the Shabbat with the evening service before your meal, and then dive into a memorable dinner. The Hanukkah Supper is a popular event, so reservations are required. Don't worry if you have a large family, there is a maximum of a $35 cost per family.
A Chanukah Celebration for all ages
Yiddish Book Center
Hampshire College
893 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 256-4900 ext. 127
www.support.yiddishbookcenter.orgPrice: $6 adult members/$8 adult non-members/$3 children members/$5 children non-members
Hours: Dec. 9 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It's a bit of a drive (2 hours from Boston), but it can be well worth the ride if you plan to take the whole day and celebrate Hanukkah with music, theater, dance, art and workshops at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Watch a presentation of "The Magic Dreidel" with the Grumbling Gryphons. With a band accompaniment, the musical storytelling of Hanukkah promises to get you in the holiday mood. Enjoy a music and art workshop where your children may learn Hanukkah songs and dance steps, and even make their own headbands. Try your hand at performing, and take part in the drama workshop, where you learn dramatic lines of "The Magic Dreidel." Space is limited, so make reservations. There is a maximum price for member families, set at $20, and for non-member families, $25.
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Nicole Adams resides on the South Shore of Massachusetts. She is a freelance writer specializing in animal welfare. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
