Musical to Add to Celebration of Hanukkah

Observances of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah will continue today with an original musical play performed by members of Temple Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks.

The festival commemorates the Jewish recapture of the Jerusalem temple in 165 B.C. and symbolizes the preservation of faith under oppression. Today is the third day of the eight-day religious festival.

Temple Adat Elohim’s 7 p.m. play will feature Hanukkah songs and original tunes. The temple is located at 2420 Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks.

“The play tells the story of (the Jewish king) Judas Maccabaeus and Antiochus, the bad king who told the Jews they couldn’t pray,” said Michele Matis Jackman, the director.

Also described in the play is the Hanukkah story of how one day’s worth of consecrated oil was used to light the temple candles for eight days, the Talmudic story that is central to the menorah-lighting ceremony.

Jackman said people are welcome to bring their own menorahs to tonight’s service for a group lighting of the menorah’s third candle.

Other events are scheduled nightly through Monday.

A Hanukkah party for children is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. today at Temple Adat Elohim. Hanukkah services will also be held at 7:30 tonight at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura and Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks.

The Chabad of Ventura will sponsor a candle-lighting ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Jack Boyd Community Center, 510 Park Road, Ojai.

Also on Saturday, the Chabad will sponsor the annual Hanukkah Festival from 7 to 8 p.m. at Buenaventura Mall in Ventura. Live Israeli music and a children’s show will be followed by an 8 p.m. candle-lighting ceremony.

On Sunday, Rabbi Yitzchak Sapochkinsky will conduct a Hanukkah festival at the Mountain Gate Plaza shopping center in Simi Valley. The event, from 4 to 5 p.m., will include music, clowns and other entertainment.

A community festival will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Los Primeros School Auditorium, 2222 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo. A children’s show will be followed by the lighting of the menorah at 8 p.m.