'Light over darkness': Saskatoon's Jewish community celebrates Hanukkah

Saskatoon gathers to see lighting of the menorah WATCH: People gathered in Saskatoon Sunday to light the menorah, marking the fifth day of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of light.

Upwards of 100 people gathered in downtown Saskatoon for a Hanukkah celebration Sunday evening.

Just outside the Remai Modern, three members of the Jewish community hopped on a construction lift to light a 20-foot menorah.

Hanukkah began on December 25 this year. Rabbi Raphael Kats with the Chabad Jewish Centre of Saskatoon said the holiday celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, a group of Jewish people, over a Greek army more than 2,000 years ago.

Kats said when the Maccabees recaptured the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, they searched for oil to light the temple’s menorah. He said there was only enough oil to burn for a day, but it miraculously burned for eight days.

Kats said that’s why the holiday is observed for eight days and eight nights, with a new candle being added to the menorah each night.

“We come together, celebrate as a community, and we eat a lot of foods that are connected to oil, like fried potato pancakes, jelly donuts,” he said.

Kats said regardless of whether someone practices the religion or not, the message of Hanukkah is universal.

“A universal message of light over darkness, of courage over fear, of pride. Therefore, it's such a wonderful thing to share this message with the local Jewish community and with the general community as well,” he said.

Hanukkah ends at sundown on Thursday.