AUBURN – Rabbi Hillel Katzir climbed a shaky, orange ladder and dropped two aluminum cans brimming with kerosene into place.
Back on snowy ground, he fired up a blowtorch, held it aloft with a length of wobbly PVC pipe and lit the tall, metal menorah.
Two dozen voices broke into Hebrew.
At Temple Shalom Synagogue-Center, they celebrated the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday with prayer and song.
After minutes of melodic reverence, congregants dug into vegetarian takeout and popped in “The Frisco Kid.”
For the third year in a row, Katzir invited synagogue members to Chinese and a movie, a nod, he said, to the old joke, “What do Jews do on Christmas?”
Only this time, the two holidays overlapped.
“I think the fact they do coincide this year give us all an opportunity to share in our neighbors’ celebration, wish them a happy and holy observance of whichever holiday they celebrate,” Katzir said.
The rabbi always tries to rent something with “some kind of Jewish hook.” Last year, it was “The Producers.” The first year, “Keeping the Faith.”
About 40 people were expected for the evening. Not all had arrived in time for the “Mega-Menorah lighting” at 5:45 p.m.
With his blowtorch, Katzir lit both the center candle and the one furthest to the right. For each of the next seven evenings, he’ll light one more in the ceremony that celebrates the miracle more than 1,000 years ago, when oil that should have lasted one night burned for eight.
Gwen Cloutier of Auburn attended the lighting for the first time with her husband, Ray. He held the couple’s 5-month-old daughter, Shoshana-Skye. “I’m Jewish and he’s Catholic, and I want her to experience it all,” Gwen Cloutier said. The couple recently moved from Pennsylvania, her home state. “My temple back home, we don’t have a menorah like that outside.”
From Monday to Thursday this week, the lighting ceremony will take place at 4:45 p.m. On Friday, before the Sabbath, at 3:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m.
Each night, they’ll say two prayers and sing “Ma’oz Tsur,” weather permitting, Katzir said. “Some people would do more songs, but it’s cold out there.”
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