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Where to Celebrate Hanukkah in New York City

By Sybile Penhirin | December 16, 2014 8:23am
 Hanukkah begins at sundown Tuesday.
Hanukkah begins at sundown Tuesday.
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NEW YORK CITY — Hanukkah begins Tuesday at sundown and will last until Dec. 24. Here are a few ways to celebrate the Festival of Lights in the city. 

For family and friends:

► Go ice-skating and watch the lighting of a giant ice menorah
A giant ice menorah installed next to Trump Wollman rink in Central Park will light up on the first night of Hanukkah Tuesday. The evening is also a chance to listen to the Ta Shma Orchestra play and sing, the newest addition to the seventh-annual event. Tickets include kosher food, like mushroom barley soup and donuts.

Where: Trump Wollman Rink, Central Park near Fifth Avenue and 64th Street
When: Dec 16 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Price: Tickets start at $18 (not including skates rental). Book your tickets here.

Attend the lighting of the world's largest Hanukkah menorah
A 32-foot-high gold-colored menorah installed at Manhattan's Grand Army Plaza, just south-east of Central Park, will be lit every day during the holiday. Lightings will take place at 5:30 p.m. except on Friday when it will happen at 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Where: Grand Army Plaza at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, Midtown East
When: Dec. 16-24
Price: Free

► Join the annual "Chanukah Extravaganza" at Kings Bay Y 
Participants can make Hanukkah greeting cards and play the dreidel game at the Brooklyn community center, where there will also be a coloring station, a toddler area and performances for children of all ages. Jelly donuts will be served. 

Where: 3495 Nostrand Ave., between Avenue U and V, Sheepshead Bay
When: Dec. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Price: Free

For children:

► See a puppet show, build your own puppet and eat latkes
Len Levit, known for "The Levity Puppets" which have been featured on Shalom Sesame, (the Hebrew language version of Sesame Street), will host a puppet show and later a puppet-making workshop at the West End Synagogue.

Where: 190 Amsterdam Ave. at 69th Street, Upper West Side
When: Dec 20. The shows starts at 4 p.m., the workshop at 5 p.m. and latkes will be served at 6 p.m.
Price: $5 per person, $18 max per family. You can register here.

► Attend the "Chanukah Art Festival" at the Jewish Children’s Museum
The program, which will take place from Dec. 17 until Dec. 24, includes a donut-decorating workshop and an interactive olive pressing class, among other activities. Participants can also observe artist Richard League create Hanukkah-themed sculptures out of fruits and vegetables. The program varies from day to day and adults are welcome to attend.

Where: The Jewish Children’s Museum, 792 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights
When: Dec. 17 to Dec. 24
Price: $13 for adults and children, $10 for senior over 65 years old. Book your tickets here.

For sports fans:

► Cheer for the rabbis' basketball team during a Detroit Pistons-Brooklyn Nets game
A menorah-lighting ceremony will take place between the first and the second quarters of a Pistons-Nets game at the Barclays Center on Dec. 21. There will also be a "Rabbis vs. Teens" game during half-time and teens who wants to join the game can still register online. More than 4,000 Jewish people from the tri-state area are expected to attend the game, where Hasidic Cantor Yanky Lemmer will perform the national anthem, organizers said. 

Where: 620 Atlantic Ave., Prospect Heights
When: Dec. 21, 5:30 p.m.
Price: Tickets range from $30 to $99 and can be booked online.
 

For people looking to socialize and network:

► Dance at the Matzoball 
The Matzoball started 28 years ago when single Jews would find themselves on vacation with nothing to do on Christmas Eve because everything was closed, according to the event website. This year's event is catered to people between 21 and 49 years old.

When: Dec 24, from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Where: Capitale at 130 Bowery, Lower East Side
Price: Tickets prices start at $40 and go up to $700 for a table of 4, including a bottle of vodka. You can book tickets here.