Paula Chaiken, 52, one of the torch runners, lights the first candle on the menorah Wednesday night outside of the Sidney and Pauline Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston. Watching are Rabbi Eric Mollo, left, and Rabbi Larry Kaplan.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
Torch run, menorah lighting part of JCC Hanukkah celebration
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A large crowd gathered outside of the Sidney and Pauline Friedman Jewish Community Center Wednesday night to witness the Running of the Torch.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
KINGSTON — Just after nightfall on Wednesday, the seventh day of Hanukkah, a large crowd in front of the Friedman Jewish Community Center waited patiently for a single light to appear from the darkness.
That light came from a torch, which burned brightly as about a dozen runners completed the annual journey from the River Common Portal in Wilkes-Barre to the JCC on SJ Strauss Lane in Kingston to light the first candle on the menorah.
Traditionally known as the Mayrutz Halapid Ceremony, the Running of the Torch originated in Israel in 1940, when young women would run to distant cities to light public menorahs.
The local ceremony, hosted in conjunction with the JCC, Temple B’nai B’rith and Temple Israel Wilkes Barre, has been a longstanding tradition in the community for decades, dating back to 1966.
Several community leaders attended the event, including Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, Kingston Mayor Jeff Coslett, Kingston Police Chief Richard Kotchik, and more, who all lent a helping hand to light the rest of the menorah.
Leading the pack of torch runners was Paula Chaiken, 52, of Shavertown, who serves on the board of directors at the JCC. Chaiken got in shape this summer so that she could run with her family this year and was deeply proud of her accomplishment.
“It’s really emotional,” she said.
JCC Athletics Director Crystal Wright also participated in the run. The ceremony was her first big event with the JCC since becoming athletics director a little over a month ago.
“It’s just about bringing the community together. I’m not Jewish and for me, this is still amazing,” she said.
Rebecca Thalenfeld, 34, of Dallas, attended the event for the first time on Wednesday, along with her brother, Adam, and two-year-old son, Elijah.
Thalenfeld said that she and her brother grew up heavily involved in the Temple B’nai B’rith and wanted to stay connected to those roots.
“It’s just nice to have a sense of community and have other Jews around,” she said.
As Hanukkah comes to an end this week, Rabbi Eric Mollo, a spiritual leader at Temple B’nai B’rith, and Rabbi Larry Kaplan, of Temple Israel in Wilkes-Barre, said there’s still much to look forward to this holiday season.
In addition to distributing backpacks to first responders on Christmas Day, Mollo said that the Temple B’nai B’rith will also be visiting General Hospital in Wilkes-Barre to give out coffee and donuts, all donated from Curry Donuts, to healthcare workers and visitors.
Kaplan also shared his excitement to once again join the First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre for its annual Christmas dinner, where members of the Temple Israel will play some holiday tunes for everyone.
Despite the holiday cheer, the Israel-Hamas War, currently raging in Gaza, still weighed heavily on everyone’s mind. Mollo said that it’s been “deeply troubling for the whole Jewish community throughout the season.”
Still, he offered a rather insightful perspective on the situation, one filled with hope rather than grief and fear.
“I think one of the great lessons of Hanukkah is that as the days go on, we spread more and more light. As the light grows, we dispel more of the darkness. So coming together on one of the brightest nights of Hanukkah is a symbol for driving out that darkness.”
