A Cold Chanukah

We got hit by a huge cold snap over the weekend - at one point, Edmonton was the second coldest place on Earth, beaten out by some remote location in Siberia! Here is a look at what some of the windows in my house looked like: one and two. Still, I managed to head out and enjoy some holiday parties and events.

The Jewish Festival of Light, Chanukah, began last Friday evening. On Saturday, I went to a Chanukah celebration held at B'nai Chayim, a church that celebrates the Jewish roots of Christianity. The latkes (potato pancakes) served right out of the oil were delicious. Here are some photos from the party and their morning service. As well, I recently took part in a re-design of the congregation's website, along with the help of John.

The following day, I ventured out (with assistance!) to the annual menorah lighting at the Alberta Legislature. Speeches were made by Premier Ed Stelmach (yes, I behaved myself), Mayor Mandel, and other Conservative political types, as well as Rabbi Ari Drelich who organizes the event. Then, we headed out into the -35 darkness and watched the menorah be lit, as Rabbi Drelich, Premier Stelmach, and another rabbi went up in a lift. Here are some photos and the coverage from iNews880.

Since we were there anyways, despite the cold we decided to take some photos of the Christmas lights decorating the Legislature grounds. Here are my results.

Then, it was off to Temple Beth Ora's Chanukah celebration. The program featured songs, lighting the menorah, and a dramatic presentation. Here are some photos.

Chanukah is not over yet. We're lighting the menorah every evening at home. Chag sameach!