SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Rancho Sahuarita was aglow on Sunday, December 29th with the warm spirit of Hanukkah as families gathered to celebrate at the “Latkes and Lights” event.
Organized by PJ Library in partnership with the Jewish Community Center, the event offered a meaningful opportunity to connect with Jewish culture and heritage.
Attendees enjoyed classic Hanukkah treats like latkes served with applesauce and played Jewish-themed games, all while fostering a sense of togetherness.
“These festivals of light and festivals of faith and dedication, may they bring all of us a new sense of strength and hope for the future and may it be a happy and healthy new year for all,” said Rabbi Norm Roman from the Beth Shalom Center of Green Valley.
Attendees like Sahuarita resident Dr. Steve Maron said Hanukkah has taken on a new meaning as he’s grown older.
“I celebrated as a kid where it meant presents. Now it means a little more than that,” Maron said. “It’s a celebration of religious freedom and national identity.”
Mary Ellen Loebl, project coordinator at PJ Library, said that while Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish tradition, “it is a holiday full of light and hope.”
PJ Library is a Massachusetts-based, international nonprofit that provides free, Jewish-themed books to families raising Jewish children from birth to age twelve. The idea was influenced by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which gives out high-quality, age-appropriate books to children regardless of income.
Through the PJ Library program, every month for twelve years, children receive an age-appropriate book that connects them to Jewish values and traditions.
Loebl emphasized the importance of these efforts in building a stronger Jewish community. “We engage families, connect them with each other, and link them to various institutions to create a support network and pass down our shared culture.”
Suzette Joffroy serves as a parent connector at PJ Library, serving to connect Jewish parents and “build a community where it’s not just going into a scary building.” She says PJ Library helped her establish a connection with her Jewish heritage after moving back to Tucson from Los Angeles.
“I needed to build a Jewish community, which I was lacking, for me and my daughter,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in my heritage and my lineage and I want to pass that on to my daughter.”
Dr. Maron highlighted the broader importance of cultural events such as Latkes and Lights.
“Any group that self-identifies wants to perpetuate their culture,” Dr. Maron said. “We aim to give our children the knowledge of what our culture stands for because otherwise, it could be lost in a few generations.”
The event fell on the fifth night of Hannukah, a festival of lights symbolizing the rededication of the Jewish Holy Temple of Jerusalem by the Maccabees after its destruction by the Assyrians.
Rabbi Roman underscored Hanukkah’s deeper message of peace and mutual respect.
“In today’s world, we rededicate ourselves to values like religious freedom, human dignity, and respecting each other’s differences,” Rabbi Roman shared. “Though we may have differing opinions, we can live together respectfully and courteously.”
Looking ahead, PJ Library plans to hold a Grandparents’ Day event on February 2 at the Northwest YMCA in Tucson to celebrate Tu Bishvat, known as the “New Year of the Trees.”
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
