Holidays in Harmony : A joint celebration of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa brings more than 200 African Americans and Jews together in Santa Ana.

In an effort to build cultural understanding between blacks and Jews, more than 200 people packed the Bowers Museum on Sunday for a joint celebration of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Adults wearing yarmulkes joined children in kinte cloth for a solemn tribute to the two heritages. Locking arms and swaying from side to side, the crowd sang spirituals and Jewish folk songs. It was the first cultural exchange program of its kind between blacks and Jews in Orange County, and organizers expressed hope that there would be more jointly sponsored events in the future to bring the two communities closer together.

“This is the first time that we’ve ever done something like this,” said Randi Rubenstein, a member of the newly formed Orange County Cultural Exchange, which was one of the program sponsors. “We wanted to get the children involved so they could have a chance to become exposed to something different and learn to have respect for each other.”

During the two-hour ceremony, an array of speakers explained the traditions surrounding the two holidays. Members of the Jewish community lit a menorah while several African American families lit candles symbolizing the eight values of Kwanzaa.

Many of those who attended Sunday’s ceremony said they were surprised by the similarities between the traditions surrounding the two holidays. Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday symbolizing the dramatic victory of Jews over the Syrians more than 2,000 years ago, is celebrated by burning candles for eight days and nights. Kwanzaa, an African American holiday based on the traditional African harvest of the first crops, lasts seven days and also calls for the burning of candles to represent several principles and ideals: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

“You have the lighting of candles with both--both Hanukkah and Kwanzaa,” Rubenstein said. “They both try to communicate similar values to the children and instill a pride in their heritage.”

“I’ve never had a celebration like this before with Jewish people and I liked it,” said Lashawn Sykes, a 23-year-old African American from Anaheim who participated in the Kwanzaa candle-lighting ceremony with her husband, Leland, 32, and daughter Maya, 9 months. “I think I’ll do it next year too.”

Alan Friedman, 52, who is Jewish, also called the event a success. “I think it really shows how two cultures can overcome diversity and come together,” said Friedman, an engineer from Anaheim. “It was a very good example of the community coming together, and I think it will continue.”

Mark Fisch, a member of the Performing Israeli Dance Troop, who led the crowd in several folk songs, agreed: “It was a complete education for me,” Fisch said. “I think the best way to get to know people of other races is to get to meet them as friends like this.”

The Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebration was sponsored by the Orange County Cultural Exchange, the Bowers Museum of Cultural Arts, the Anti-Defamation League, 100 Black Men of Orange County, the Jewish Federation of Orange County, the Orange County African-American Literary Society and the Black Orange.