Celebrate Chanukah with story telling and music

Temple L'Chayim will host a Clermont Chanukah Party that will be open to the entire community on Sunday, Dec. 6, the first night of Chanukah from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be a special Chanukah candle lighting ceremony performed by Cantor Isaac Kriger and Rabbi Howard Schwartz of Temple L'Chayim. This annual celebration will be a terrific opportunity for the community to join together and to learn about Jewish tradition, history, culture and heritage.

Rabbi Howard Schwartz will share the ancient history and tradition of Chanukah. Music and sing-along songs will be led by Cantor Kriger with his wife Elizabeth Brahm-Kriger, an internationally renowned opera singer and accompanist. Together, they will present 'The Story of Chanukah with a medley of traditional Chanukah and Jewish music. This show will present a festive evening of entertaining Jewish music and festive Israeli songs. Bass-Baritone Syd Tenenbaum will be a featured guest artist. He is a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun in Syracuse, N.Y., and Temple Shalom in The Villages, Florida.

Guests will enjoy an array of Chanukah potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce, kugels, fruit, tuna salad, fresh vegetables, cookies, cake, coffee and drinks with traditional holiday treats. The Chanukah treats will be shared after services for a $10 per person donation. Sign up and pre-pay by Friday, Nov. 27.

Temple L'Chayim also will hold the first local Kugel Bake-Off. It is open to the entire community. Kugel contest applicants may contact Sandee Kosner at 352-227-4501 or Sandee625@aol.com for the competition rules. Entries must be in the same size pan with a half sheet aluminum foil pan, delivered to Temple L'Chayim by 5:30 p.m., Dec. 6. Each entry will need a card with the name of the kugel and its ingredients. The cook's name must not appear on the card. Each person attending the Chanukah Party will have one vote. Prizes will be awarded to the best kugels.

Temple L'Chayim holds traditional Sabbath services every second and fourth Friday of each month within the Clermont City Center, 620 West Montrose Street in downtown Clermont, Florida 34711. For more information about these services, membership and special Temple L'Chayim events, contact Nathan Axel at 352-242-6135, NAxel@cfl.rr.com. Visit: http://www.Facebook.com/TempleLChayim and http://www.TempleLChayim.com.