The Best Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah in New Jersey

Posted on: December 2nd, 2020 by

December is one of the busiest times of the year. While the holidays will look a little different this year, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have a great time with your family. While Christmas might normally be the star of the show in December, many families are also celebrating Hanukkah! So whether you don’t celebrate Christmas at all or are celebrating both this year, here are a few great ways to celebrate Hanukkah in New Jersey!

This year, Hanukkah will be Thursday, December 10, 2020 through Friday, December 18, 2020.

Celebrate Hanukkah in New Jersey

Car Menorah Parades

If you’re looking for a great way to help spread joy in your community this Hanukkah, consider signing up for this Car Menorah Parade in Long Branch! This driving parade is a fun way for you to spread some Hanukkah cheer without actually needing to get out of your car or spend any money!

More Car Menorah Parades in New Jersey

Participating in a Car Menorah Parade?

Here’s a few products we found for cars participating in a Car Menorah Parade. These are affiliate links. We participate in affiliate programs that allow us to earn a small commission if you make a purchase using our link.

Temple Emanu-El Chanukah Celebration

Come to the temple to celebrate Hanukkah in New Jersey each night of the Hanukkah season! There is a new event and worship every night with something new and fun for the community to enjoy! These events are free to anyone who wants to come!

Drive In Chanukah Event with a BMX Bike Show

We’re still collecting all the details, but plans are underway for a Drive In Hanukkah event in Montclair, New Jersey. Highlights include BMX Stunt Bike Show, Grand Menorah Lighting, Chanukah Swag Bag, with doughnuts, Gelt and prizes, immersive multimedia Chanukah Experience, featuring music videos and digital games and a Dreidel Mascot.

Happy Hanukkah pic

Grand Menorah Lighting and Fire Show

Putting a new spin on the Chanukah theme of illuminating the world, Chabad at the Shore will combine a Fire Juggling Show with an Annual Grand Menorah Lighting. At this free event, participants also will enjoy doughnuts and latkes, as well as music performed by a children’s choir.

Drive In Menorah Lighting with a Fire Show

We’re still collecting all the details, but plans are underway for a Drive In Hanukkah event in Closter, New Jersey. A giant LED Menorah lighting, a fire show, food, prizes and more will certainly make for a memorable Hanukkah celebration.

Metuchen Menorah Lighting

Celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of the Metuchen Menorah! Listen to musical pieces and the story of Hanukkah followed by the lighting of the Metuchen Menorah. Starting on the 10th, gelt, and dreidels will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at Metuchen shops through the weekend. If you can’t make it to this event in person, it will also be live-streamed on the Metuchen Borough Facebook Page, Metuchen Media Youtube Channel, and Channel 15.

Chanukah Outdoor Menorah Lighting

Chabad of the Shore is putting on three different outdoor menorah lighting events in New Jersey! These will all be held outside to maintain social distancing guidelines so you can still celebrate the Hanukkah season together.

More Menorah Lightings in New Jersey

As these menorah lighting events in New Jersey are updated for 2020, we will link to them below.

Menorah Lightings in New Jersey

Chanukah Drive-In Event

This Chanukah Drive-In event in Lebanon will feature world famous Shira Soul Band performance, Live Fire Show, Covid friendly Chanukah Craft Bags, Personal Food Bags and grand Menorah Lighting at New Construction Site.

Chanukah On Ice

This Hanukkah event in New Jersey is fun for the entire family! Skate to Hannakuh music, and enjoy donuts, latkes, and dreidels for the whole family! Stick around for the lighting of a giant menorah too!

The Great Chanukah Happening in South Jersey

Join an outdoor, drive-through JCC Chanukah Celebration and celebrate the Festival of Lights!

The event will start with the arrival of the Chabad menorah car parade, then we will enjoy the lighting of the menorah atop the JCC roof! Music, crafts, a sugar cookie kit and dreidel making kit (provided by Kellman Brown Academy) will all be take-home goodies provided while you remain safely in your vehicle. 

Find more in person New Jersey Hanukkah events

Visit these links to find more New Jersey Hanukkah events by county.

Virtual Hanukkah Events

Make Hannukah Sweet

Celebrate the Hannukah season by making a Hannukah cake together alongside Tracy Wilk! You’ll get a list of ingredients and a link to the Zoom call when you sign up for this event!

A Virtual Concert in Celebration of Hanukkah

On December 15th at 1:30 pm, hop on Zoom for a virtual concert featuring Avi Wisnia. Avi will be performing sing-a-long favorites and Jewish music as well as Hanukkah songs! This event is only $8, and you can watch from the comfort of your own home! 

Nefesh Mountain Zoom Concert

This special free ticket opportunity is only open to TRT members! If you’re a member, you can watch this free live Hanukkah holiday concert right from home!

Chanukahpalooza!

Join the Temple Emanu-El of Edison for a celebration of Hanukkah and Shabbat! All are welcome to join this event!

Zoom at: https://zoom.us/j/8357221415, passcode: temple  

If you are unable to join by Zoom, you can call 1-646-558-8656, enter meeting ID 8357221415 and passcode 426022

Virtual Hanukkah Magic Show

Celebrate the season for magic and miracles with magician and mentalist Jason Silberman! You can experience this mind-blowing magic show from home; you only need to register to join! 

Virtual Hanukkah Puppet Show

This child-friendly Hannukah Zoom event is perfect for your little ones! This interactive puppet show is put on by Mainstages and includes games, puppets, interactive storybook theater, and more!

Virtual Menorah Lighting

Join Chabad at the Shore from the comfort of your home and light the menorahs together. Enjoy a story time with Tovah Rapoport, a latke frying lesson, inspiring songs, and more.

Join Zoom Meeting Login Info:
www.zoom.us | Meeting ID: 844 7446 1176 | Password: 1818

More Ideas for Celebrating Hanukah at home

Have some Hanukkah fun and support a New Jersey bakery at the same time. Pickup, curbside one of these cookie decorating kits from a NJ bakery. Then, get your kids involved to see who can design or create the best looking holiday cookie.

Also consider ordering a Hanukkah cookie decorating kit from Sully and Vanilla. Look at the cute paint your own cookies they have for Hanukkah. Choose from a dancing dreidel, menorah, or Hanukkah scene. In our sample, we received a dancing dreidel. These cookies are huge. Each is about 4.5″ wide in diameter. It comes with one large cookie, edible paint palette, and a food safe paintbrush.

Dancing Driedel paint your own hanukkah cookie Hanukkah Cookie Decorating Kit from Sully and Vanilla
Dancing Driedel Paint Your Own Hanukkah cookie from Sully and Vanilla

You can also order a complete Hanukkah Cookie Decorating Kit from Sully and Vanilla at their website. They do ship their cookies. Each set comes with 8 cookies (2 dreidel, 2 menorah, 2 Jewish star and 2 gifts) icing and sprinkles to decorate.

Enjoy a special Hanukkah dessert

Order some sweet treats to have on one or every night you celebrate Hanukkah. Sully and Vanilla not only has the Hanukkah Cookie Decorating kits but they also have these cute and yummy . Each set includes one dozen vanilla cake pops dipped in white chocolate and topped with sprinkles and gelt.

Hanukkah Gelt Pops from Sully & Vanilla
Hanukkah Gelt Pops from Sully & Vanilla

Expand your collection of Jewish children’s books

Sign up for PJ Library. PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children from birth through 12 years old. Learn more at their website. Every month, PJ Library sends more than 650,000 free Jewish books to families around the world.

Build a Chanukkah House from Cookies

YES! You can build a gingerbread cookie Hanukkah house. We like this Chanukah Cookie House Decorating Kit we received from Manischewitz. Each of their DIY kits includes everything you need to build your own festive cookie house and a subscription card for PJ Library.

Chanukkah house cookie decorating kit.

Just because we are living in a bizarre season of life, this holiday season doesn’t mean you have to forego some of your favorite Hanukkah traditions! If you’re looking for good family fun this holiday season, any of these would be a fun way to celebrate Hanukkah in New Jersey with your family.

For ways to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah at home visit these blog posts and listings

For help with your holiday and Christmas Shopping take a look at these posts

New Jersey gift experiences gift guide

Posted in: All, Things to do in Central Jersey, Things to do in New Jersey, Things to do in North Jersey, Things to do in South Jersey

Jennifer Auer is the hyperlocal mom blogger who runs Jersey Family Fun. From New Jersey, this mom of 3 boys just can’t sit still! Her husband likes to say she’s a work-at-home mom who never stays home. Jennifer started traveling as a child and hasn’t stopped since. Instead of letting her husband and boys slow her down, she brings them along! As her boys transition from tweens to teens there’s still so many places she wants to discover with them both across the U.S. and internationally. She has been a Jersey Girl for 35+ years, and a Jersey Mom for 15+ years and a New Jersey mom blogger for 10 years, although she'd much rather be referred to as an influencer or just by name. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship from Bryant University in Rhode Island.

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