PERRY, Ga. — Thursday is the first night of Hanukkah. And people in Perry will be celebrating on Saturday during the 2nd Annual Menorah Lighting Ceremony.
The Perry menorah lighting was started last year by middle schooler Lilah Hutten.
"Many children when they have their Bar or Bat Mitzvah take on a community service project. We talked about it, we talked about different things she could do. Sometimes you'll raise money for another country or underprivileged people in your community," Lilah's mom, Trichelle said.
Hutten says Lilah wanted to share her culture and family traditions with her community. She raised around $2,500 to purchase a 6-foot menorah.
She and her parents partnered with Perry United Methodist Church and each night, you can see the menorah glow in front of the church.
Hanukkah is a celebration of light and of overcoming obstacles. During the eight-night celebrations, families light menorahs to honor the miracle that happened when the Maccabees set out to rededicate the Temple.
Pastor Tom Carruth says his congregation was honored to put the menorah in front of the church.
"We're a Christian church but Jesus was Jewish. In fact in the bible Jesus, we know, celebrated Hanukkah and so for us, it's just easy to go 'yeah we want to partner with our Jewish friends and family here in Perry, in Houston County, in Middle Georgia,'" he said.
Hutten says it's important people know about all the holidays community members celebrate during this time.
"I think it's really important if we're going to live in a community, in a society that accepts each other and loves each other, it's really important to be exposed to those different things," she said.
You can join community members on Saturday at 6 p.m. in front of Perry United Methodist Church. The event is open for anyone to join.