UKIAH, CA., 12/22/25 — On Sunday evening, during a torrential downpour that flooded multiple areas of Ukiah, a small, peaceful gathering took place at Alex Thomas Plaza to celebrate the final night of Hanukkah. The centerpiece of the evening, a large menorah that lit up the corner of the park, was mounted high for all to see.
At Alex Thomas Plaza, 30 to 40 people gathered at 4:30 p.m. to celebrate the final night of Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that celebrates freedom, faith, and light. Hanukkah is observed by lighting candles for eight nights on a menorah and is often accompanied by songs, foods such as latkes and doughnuts, and other traditions.
Two of the main organizers of Sunday’s event, Rabbi Mendel Wolvovsky and his wife Altie Wolvovsky, are also the directors of the Joseph Weingarten Chabad Jewish Center, an educational and cultural center in Santa Rosa that is part of a larger network of Jewish organizations worldwide. Every year, Rabbi Wolvovsky said he and other Chabad participants drive to a small town near Santa Rosa with their large menorah, hoping to bring the spirit of Hanukkah to more rural communities. Some years they went to Healdsburg or Cloverdale, and this year they chose Ukiah.
“It was beautiful to have the opportunity to come out here and share the joy,” Wolvovsky said. “We have friends we visit frequently, and they said it would be nice to have a menorah lighting here, and we said, ‘We will be here.’”
At the beginning of the event, Wolvovsky lit candles on the large menorah as community members, holding umbrellas to shelter from the storm, sang songs and watched the rabbi with joy as he finished lighting the eighth candle.
Many attendees were Ukiah residents but spoke of longstanding Hanukkah traditions with their families in Boston, New York, Detroit and Los Angeles. They said they were joyful to see a Hanukkah celebration in their current home of Ukiah.
Isa Davila, a Ukiah resident originally from the Los Angeles Westside neighborhood, solemnly mentioned the recent attack that killed 15 people on the first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Davila spoke about the importance of honoring Jewish traditions during a time of political upheaval and violence. Davila said the news of the shooting brought her to tears.
“I thought wow, do we have to deal with this everywhere? The hate is too big,” Davila said. “The idea of Judaism in all of our celebrations is about life. That [attack] really did affect me.”
Davila also described how she celebrates Hanukkah and why the holiday is so important to her.
“I’ve been celebrating at home, I light my candles, I have some latkes, and I dance because I am a dancer,” Davila said during the celebration. “Hanukkah is about bringing light into a dark part of the year.”
