Menorah lights the way for Hanukkah

About 40 people gathered Monday in Manteca for the lighting of a menorah to mark the Jewish observance of Hanukkah.

Rabbi Shalom Bochner of Congregation Beth Shalom in Modesto helped lead the ceremony at Library Park, the first of five this week in the area.

The eight-night tradition commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire about 2,180 years ago. Hanukkah, which starts on varying dates each year, began Saturday night.

Congregation Beth Shalom invites the public to these other lightings:

Tuesday, Modesto: 4:30 p.m. at McHenry Village, 1700 McHenry Ave.

Wednesday, Turlock: 4:30 p.m. at Main Street and Golden State Boulevard

Thursday, Oakdale: 4:30 p.m. at Gene Bianchi Community Center, 110 S. Second Ave.

Friday, Modesto: 4 p.m. at Tenth and K streets.

More information is at www.cbsmodesto.org.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Menorah lights the way for Hanukkah."