There’s something to be said for celebrating together, and that was obvious when more than 1,500 people gathered at Santana Row to celebrate the last night of Hanukkah on Sunday.
After not being able to have a public event last year, seven Chabad Centers from Santa Clara County teamed up for this one, which included the the lighting of the nine-foot Menorah at the San Jose shopping center. Kids took part in crafts, candles and menorahs were distributed for families to take home and everyone was treated to music from the Peatot, an Israeli rock band.
Rabbi Aaron Cunin of Chabad of San Jose said everyone was especially excited about Hanukkah this year, whether with family and friends or at the public event. “The public Hanukkah celebration was about sharing this light and joy with the broader community and the entire San Jose,” he said.
The celebration drew the attention of public officials, too, with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen and San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata in attendance.
Chabad, a Jewish educational organization, presented hundreds of Hanukkah events in California since the eight-day holiday began Nov. 28, including public menorah lightings at Almaden Lake in San Jose, San Jose State University and Westfield Valley Fair.
HE’S CHECKING HIS LIST: San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo kicked off a campaign on Saturday to get the city’s residents to shop local this season with a stop at Tropicana supermarket on Story Road. There’s a fun aspect to the effort, too: Residents can suggest their favorite places to shop in San Jose — preferably a smaller or locally owned business instead of a chain — and explain why it’s their favorite in a post on Liccardo’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SamLiccardo1) with the hashtags #SendSamShopping and #ShopLocalSJ.
The businesses with the most submissions by Dec. 9 at 9 a.m. will get a visit from Liccardo as he does his holiday shopping.
FAREWELL TO A LEGEND: It was a who’s who of faces last Friday night at the California Theatre as San Jose civic leaders, arts organizations and broadcasters got together to celebrate the life of Bob Kieve, the Empire Broadcasting president who died in May 2020.
Kieve would have turned 100 on Dec. 9, and his daughter, Lenoir Kieve, led a wonderful tribute to his life that included remarks by friends and colleagues Steve Borkenhagen, Rod Diridon, Madison Nguyen, Nate Deaton, Brian Adams and Jason Bennert. Many of the guys — and a few women — in attendance wore bow ties, the neckwear with which Kieve was most identified.
But the most unexpected part — and the bit Kieve would have enjoyed the most — was the musical interlude featuring pianist Jon Nakamatsu and cellist Evan Kahn performing with members of Symphony San Jose.
HOLIDAY FUN AND GAMES: 3Below Theaters and San Jose Playhouse continues its Holly Jolly Holiday Experience on Fridays through Sundays over the next three weekends in downtown San Jose. Kids can decorate a photo frame, create a reindeer ornament or write a letter to Santa at the “imagination stations,” as well as getting a holiday cookie and a cup of hot chocolate (with coffee on hand for the grown-ups, too). And a half-dozen of those family-favorite TV specials — including “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” — will be showing on the big-screen.
Tickets are $15 and include parking in the garage above 3Below, at 288 S. Second St. Go to sanjoseplayhouse.org/shorts for the schedule and tickets.
Source: www.mercurynews.com