TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — “Some people think it's the Jewish people’s Christmas– and it’s not. It’s a long tradition," said Evan Mendelson of Sonoran Glass School.
The date for Hanukkah changes every year depending on the Hebrew calendar. This year, the first night of Hanukkah is Sunday, Dec. 18 and begins at sunset.
The Jewish community in Tucson is about 25,000- 30,000 people but only a small amount are involved in the Jewish community locally. They are a tight knit group that love to keep the traditions going through local synagogues.
One of the most important Hanukkah traditions is the lighting of the menorah each evening.
“Eight of the candles represent the eight days that each oil was used to light the candles in the temple in 200 BC," said Mendelson. "The shamash is the attendant, it's the candle that lights the other candles.”
Each night during Hanukkah you add a new candle before lighting. Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but candles are lit from left to right.
Sonoran Glass School is the only full-service, nonprofit glass organization in the desert Southwest. Their main goal is to bring fire and light into their glass school which is very similar to what a menorah does in a home during Hanukkah.
Priscilla Kar Yee Lo is one of the glass instructors at Sonoran Glass School and was featured on the Netflix series "Blown Away." Kar Yee Lo has brought her glass blowing skills to Tucson is teaching menorah making classes this time of year.
Proceeds from Sonoran's Glass School classes support the education and advancement of glass art and glass artists in Southern Arizona. For more information on the glass blowing classes offered, email info@sonoranglass.org or call (520) 884-7814.
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Brooke Chau is a reporter for KGUN 9. She was a part of Fresno State's newscast, Fresno State Focus and interned at KFSN-ABC30 in Fresno, CA before coming to KGUN 9. Share your story ideas and important issues with Brooke by emailing brooke.chau@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
