Highland Park siblings Ella (left), 5; and Maya Lipkowitz, 3, create at an an activity table at the Chabad of Glencoe Chanukah Celebration on Thursday in Gencoe. (Photos by Karie Angell Luc/For Chronicle Media)

Video: https://youtu.be/2hPwuNqB4LU?feature=shared

Nearly 200 people attended the annual Chabad of Glencoe Chanukah Celebration on Thursday.

Chanukah or Hanukkah, depending on your choice of spelling, is the eight-day Jewish tradition called the Festival of Lights and began on Wednesday and concludes on Thursday.

This year, Chanukah fell on the same day as Christmas.

“The message of Chanukah is that the little bit of light, the little bit of energy, the little bit of fuel that we have left can continue to last, can continue to shine, until the world becomes a better and brighter place,” said Rabbi Sholom Wolberg of Glencoe, founder of Chabad of Glencoe.

Chabad of Glencoe’s free event began with a buffet supper, activities, music and games in the Green

Rabbi Sholom Wolberg of Glencoe, founder of Chabad of Glencoe, lights the grand menorah at Vernon Avenue and Tudor Court.

Family Rehearsal Room on the first floor of Writers Theatre. There were latkes and doughnuts, plus a station to make your own chocolates.

Jeff Lipkowitz of Highland Park was seen dancing to DJ music inside the party while holding son Jacob, 1.

“I think it’s important to share the Jewish tradition and not just do Chanukah at home but experience it with people,” Jacob’s father said.

Addison Price of Glencoe was a volunteer and having “so much fun.”

Price greeted attendees at a front table where registrants were encouraged to guess the number of dreidels in a clear jar.

It is important to volunteer “because you have to give back to the community,” said Price, whose favorite color is green and would pick a green dreidel if making a choice.

After the 5 p.m. dinner, people were invited to see the grand menorah be illuminated at Tudor Court and Vernon Avenue, a short distance across the street from Writers Theatre.

The weather for the grand menorah lighting was in the lower 40s without rain. Downtown treetops were already illuminated with holiday white lights giving the scene a glow.

To attendees at the grand menorah lighting, Rabbi Wolberg said menorahs of light come from within each person to brighten and to share with the world.

“Inside, in each and every one of us, there’s a little menorah,” Wolberg said of inner brightness.

Glencoe Public Works maintenance equipment operator Brian Wolfe of Mount Prospect prepares to drop 50 parachute bags holding chocolate coins at Vernon and Tudor.

Glencoe Public Works maintenance equipment operator Brian Wolfe of Mount Prospect dropped 50 parachute bags holding chocolate gelt coins from a truck bucket. Wolfe dropped the parachutes on the Tudor Court sidewalk near the illuminated menorah.

“I organized them so they weren’t all tangled up,” Wolfe said of the parachutes.

As a work function as part of a public works position, Wolfe said, with a smile, about the unique assignment Thursday evening, “It was definitely fun. This was nice.”

Attendee Emily Eisenberg-Bibian of Manhattan in New York City, formerly of Glencoe, was a member of Winnetka’s New Trier Township High School Class of 2006.

“It’s important to show up because we can all be the light in the darkness and it’s a little bit dark right now but each of us can brighten the world,” Eisenberg-Bibian said.

Barbara Harris of Skokie, the parent of four children, was present to instill in the youngsters “to love being Jewish.”

Volunteer Ariel Towers of Glencoe said about the Jewish holiday, “The light of Chanukah can shed its light for everyone and we can all learn to respect each other and get along and just kind of chill out.

“Chill out, like, just take breath,” Towers said. “Let’s just all learn to look at people as human beings

Children gather parachutes of chocolate coins.

and show them kindness and respect…just enough with the toxic and the anger.”

The Chabad of Glencoe Chanukah Celebration as an event is “so cute, everything they do is so cute,” Towers added, referring to Rabbi Sholom and Deena Wolberg and family.

“They are the most amazing people, they are so caring…giving,” Towers said about the Wolbergs. “They’re bringing the community together.”

Visit https://www.jewishglencoe.com for more information about Chabad of Glencoe.