CRANBERRY TWP — The fourth night of Hanukkah will be celebrated with the lighting of a giant menorah in front of the township municipal center, 2525 Rochester Road.

The party will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday with entertainment and traditional foods, such as jelly doughnuts and latkes.

This is the third year for the Cranberry Hanukkah party, according to Rabbi Ely Rosenfeld of Chabad Fox Chapel.

The free event is sponsored by Chabad Fox Chapel and the Cranberry Jewish Community Association.

Jack Cohen, president of the CJCA, said it is a wonderful time for the Jewish community of Butler County to come together.

His message to the public is to come hungry.

“They really are the best jelly doughnuts you’ve ever ate,” he said.

Cohen said people who attend the event do not have to be Jewish.

“It is cool to learn about other people’s religious beliefs and customs,” he said. “We want to educate people on who we are.”

Hanukkah commemorates the longevity of a container of lamp oil recovered by the Maccabees from the ruins of the Jerusalem temple after Antiochus IV’s army was driven out of the city around 170 B.C., according to a release from the township.

The container stayed sealed by the high priest and had enough oil to keep the temple’s menorah lit for a day. But, the menorah burned for eight days, which was enough time for new oil to be made.

The observance of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated according to the lunar Hebrew calendar, which is different from the solar civil calendar, the release states. This year the first night of Hanukkah will be Sunday.

Rosenfeld said people should come to Wednesday’s event as a way to show they are proud of their faith, especially in light of everything happening in the world that is challenging people’s freedoms.

“One of the special traits of the menorah is that you should light the menorah outside. It should be public; it should be out there in the square,” Rosenfeld said.

“It symbolizes the freedom of religion and the freedom of celebrating our faith in public in a proud way. ... We should celebrate our faith with joy and happiness and be proud of it. This is one opportunity for us to do it in the most public and beautiful way,” Rosenfeld said.

Rosenfeld said something new at the party this year will be an olive press to show children how to make the oil for the menorah.

The olives will be ground and put in a centrifuge. Essentially the children will get olive oil right out of the press.

“So it is an opportunity for kids to really somehow connect the ancient to the present,” Rosenfeld said. “It puts a modern twist on an ancient tradition.”

Rosenfeld said the menorah has nine candles, and the ninth candle lights the other eight. The eight candles represent the eight nights of Hanukkah. The ninth candle in the center is called the Shamash, which means “the lamp lighter.”

“It essentially symbolizes every one of us and the goal of every one of us to light up the people around us,” Rosenfeld said. “Each one of us is a lamp lighter to bring the light to others.”

Rosenfeld said the message of Hanukkah is to share the light and to bring happiness and joy to everyone.

“Like a flame, like a candle and why we use flames is because when you light another flame it does not take away from the original flame,” he said.

“There is an endless flame available from that first flame, so when we do kindness to others and when we do good it does not make us less, if anything it just doubles the value,” he said.