Oceanside CA— The lighting of the Menorah took place, for the 11^th time, in the Oceanside City Hall, Civic Plaza, last night, December 7, 2015 in celebration of Chanukah.
Rabbi Baruch Greenberg with Chabad of Oceanside/Vista presided of the ceremony. Oceanside Mayor, Jim Wood along with City Council members; Jack Feller, Esther C. Sanchez, City Manager, Michelle Lawrence, Oceanside Fire Department Chief Darryl Hebert and Oceanside Police Chief, Frank McCoy were in attendance.

“A small light pushes away a lot of darkness” said Rabbi Greenberg “We had something happen in California that came close to home and people started asking; Can we fight the darkness, can we overcome the darkness these people bring in?” the Rabbi continued “The answer is yes. These people did something evil on their own. Let’s turn it around and make from this evil, a very good thing. An act of kindness and goodness doesn’t have to wait for many people. When we light one small candle in a room, it lights up the room. If a we have a few more people do it, the room get’s brighter. Let’s make this world a better place with one small candle at a time, one small good deed at a time, and together we can make this a wonderful world where everyone can live in peace.”
Oceanside Police Chief, Frank McCoy lit the first candle of the, 18-foot tall, Menorah and following the ceremony, guests were treated to latkes and hot chocolate. Children were treated to face painting and glow in the dark sand art.
Below are some snapshots of the event:

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