AUBURN – Temple Shalom’s celebration of the Festival of Lights will be spread out over many nights, according to Rabbi Hillel Katzir.

Members of the temple will be lighting their 12-foot-tall “mega-menorah” for the next eight days, celebrating Hanukkah.

Celebrations kick off at 5:45 p.m. tonight at Temple Shalom, 74 Bradman Street. The festivities will peak Sunday night with the temple’s official Hanukkah party.

The party is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. with the lighting of the menorah. The party will continue in the temple with food, music and games. The public is invited.

Katzir will also participate in the city of Lewiston’s holiday celebration Wednesday night. He is scheduled to light the Courthouse Plaza menorah at 6:55 p.m.

He will be in Augusta Thursday night lighting a holiday menorah at the Blaine House with other rabbis from around the state. Temple Shalom members will return to light their Hanukkah menorah again at 3:30 p.m. Friday, just before the Sabbath begins.

They’ll light the menorah at 5 p.m. Saturday at the close of the Sabbath, as a way to kick off the temple’s annual latke fry party. Members will make traditional potato pancakes for Sunday night’s party.

“We may just be making food, but we try and make a celebration out of it, anyway,” he said.