SLO Jewish community honors late supervisor Adam Hill on first night of Hanukkah
The booming clang of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa’s bells echoed through downtown San Luis Obispo promptly at 5 p.m. Thursday, marking the start of a religious holiday not on the Catholic church’s calendar.
Instead the bells, as they have for the past 25 years, rang for the first night of Hanukkah in San Luis Obispo County.
For a quarter of a century, the Jewish Community Center (JCC) Federation of San Luis Obispo County has lit a massive menorah in the church’s plaza in a show of local religious unity.
Several dozen masked people gathered in Mission Plaza to celebrate the holiday, which began Thursday.
This year the celebration looked a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, JCC Federation manager Bobby Naimark told The Tribune, but it was important that some elements remained.
“It’s been traditional that here in San Luis Obispo that we have it here at the Mission to have the intertwining of faiths,” Naimark said. “I think this is a truly special thing that happens in our community every year, but especially this year.”
Thursday night’s event was uniquely special, as it honored the late San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill.
Before his death on Aug. 6, Hill, who represented the Third District, was a fixture at the annual menorah-lighting ceremony. He would traditionally light the first votive of the JCC Federation’s menorah every Hanukkah, Naimark said.
“I don’t remember a first night Hanukkah without Adam here,” JCC Federation board member Lauren Bandari said during the ceremony. “He was always proud and happy to help light this public menorah, and dedicated a number of his years of his life to serve our community.”
In his memory, the JCC Federation unveiled a new engraved votive for the menorah, which will be used on the first night of all future Hanukkahs to come, Bandari said.
The inscription reads: “We light a candle and remember Adam Craig Hill for the dedication and service for our community and to this public menorah.”
On Thursday night, JCC Federation President Gail Schwartz carefully lit the furthest candle on the menorah, protecting it from the slight winds that swept through the plaza, as the assembled crowd sang traditional blessings.
After a group sing-along of “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,” the ceremony wrapped up with a flurry of fake snow pouring from a machine on one of the Mission’s nearby pergolas, and falling onto the heads of the giggling children below.
How to participate in Hanukkah celebration
The Hannukah Downtown celebration continues through Thursday, Dec. 17, with each nightly candle-lighting ceremony starting at 5 p.m.
Because of COVID-19 regulations and limitations, the JCC Federation requires a reservation to view the menorah ceremony from the upper tier of Mission Plaza.
That reservation list has since closed, but others are still invited to attend and watch the ceremony from the lower plaza. Masks are required.
The JCC Federation will also livestream the event each night during Hannukah on its Facebook page.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 7:20 PM.
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