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SF Chanukah Menorah Lighting

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JWeeky's pic of SF's Bill Graham Menorah

‘Tis the season for me to be disgruntled about all the Christmas mania. For a full explanation, see last year’s “What’s A Jew to Do on Christmas” post. I hate to admit that Christmas lights and Christmas trees are, from a purely aesthetic angle, quite a feast for the eyes. But they are. They totally trump menorahs. Especially the ones my mom uses that my sister and I made in kindergarten. Menorahs might represent an actual miracle and all, but tree-lighting ceremonies draw more crowds.

But San Francisco, of course, has a tradition for everyone. So, before you make your way to one of the many Bay Area Christmas tree-lighting ceremonies, stop in at Union Square on Wednesday for the annual lighting of the 25-foot tall Bill Graham Menorah. You gotta love San Francisco, with its equal opportunity lighting ceremonies. That’s why I like the following joke. It’s so rare to find one that makes fun of Jews and Christians in equal amounts:

If you google "priest and rabbi" you mostly get costumes. I guess they're rarely in the same room.

A priest and a rabbi are sitting next to each other at a wedding. A little boy a few pews ahead is leaning over tying his shoes. The priest points at him, leans over to the rabbi, and whispers, “I really wanna screw that kid.” The rabbi’s face lights up and he replies, “Ok, great! Outta what?”


Wednesday December 1, 5pm
Bill Graham Menorah Lighting
Union Square [Geary & Powell]
FREE

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Chloe - Pennywise Reporter

Chloe - Pennywise Reporter

Chloe's youth was split between California and Kauai, frolicking on a macadamia nut farm in the tropics and landing finally in the Bay Area. Raised by super-Jew hippies, and the youngest of three sisters, Chloe learned early the virtues of thrift, economy, and green living. To the chagrin of her parents (who hoped, of course, for a Jewish doctor or lawyer), Chloe has put her degree from UC Berkeley to great use by becoming a folk singer. As "Chloe Makes Music" she plays shows throughout SF and beyond, donning vintage frocks, selling handmade merch, and pinching pennies as she sings for her supper. Calling Berkeley home for the last six years, you can think of Chloe as the website's East Bay Correspondent, opening your eyes to the hippie-filled, tree-hugging, organic-loving, vegan-eating, but way-overlooked and awesome assets of Berkeley, Oakland, and beyond.