<bt>This year, area families will have a new opportunity to celebrate Chanukah with the wider Northern Virginia community. From Dec. 14 to 25, Chabad at Tysons is sponsoring 'Chanukah Wonderland,' where families can play computer games, design cards and watch puppet shows in honor of the Festival of Lights.
The inaugural, 12-day event allows Jewish families to commemorate Chanukah without having to travel to Maryland or the District. Besides scheduled activities, 'Chanukah Wonderland' will also have a store, a cafe serving kosher food and ongoing exhibits.
"There's nothing really in the area for kids to do," explained Rabbi Levi Deitch, who is organizing the event.
Admission is free, and the event will take place at Tysons Plaza Center, 8032 Leesburg Pike in Vienna. For more information, call 703-356-3451, or e-mail RabbiLeviD@aol.com.
Unless otherwise noted, 'Chanukah Wonderland' will be open Sunday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m. to noon.
Chanukah, or the Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. The holiday lasts eight days, to signify the miracle that occurred when lighting the N'er Tamid, or the eternal light, in the temple. The oil lamp had only one day's worth of oil, yet the oil stayed lit for eight days.
<1b>--By Joanna Franco
<ro>Schedule of Events
<cal1>Sunday/Dec. 14
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Olive Oil Press
12:30 p.m. Kaydee Puppets
2:30 p.m. Chocolate Draidel Pops
4:30 p.m. Wax Candle Dipping
6:00 p.m. Make your own latkes and doughnuts
<cal1>Monday/Dec. 15
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Color-Me-Chanukah
3:00 p.m. Edible Menorahs
6:00 p.m. Chanukah sand art
<cal1>Tuesday/Dec. 16
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Funky Chanukah Placemats
6:30 p.m. Decoupage Latke Plate
<cal1>Wednesday/Dec. 17
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Chanukah Story Hour
6:00 a.m. Edible Menorahs
<cal1>Thursday/Dec. 18
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Paint Your own Wooden Draidel
4:30 p.m. Chanukah Window Sparklers
<cal1>Friday/Dec. 19
<cal2>10:30 p.m. Bake Me Chanukah: Challah Baking
<cal1>Saturday/Dec. 20
<cal2>Wonderland opens 7 p.m.
Grand Menorah Lighting ceremony
Live music, free, hot latkes and doughnuts
<cal1>Sunday/Dec. 21
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Olive Oil press
12:30 p.m. Help Build a 6-foot LEGO Menorah
2:30 p.m. Make your Own Latkah
3:30 p.m. Comedy and Magic Show!
<cal1>Monday/Dec. 22
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Chanukah Sand Art
12:30 p.m. Papercutting for Chanukah cards
3:30 p.m. Chanukah Shrinky Dinks
6:00 p.m. Chocolate Draidel Pops
<cal1>Tuesday/Dec. 23
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Chanukah Key Chains
12:30 p.m. Decorate Chanukah "Gelt" Bags
3:30 p.m. Decorate Latkah Plate
<cal1>Wednesday/Dec. 24
<cal2>10:30 a.m. Chanukah bath buddies
12:30 p.m. Paint your own wooden draidel
3:30 p.m. Chanukah Mosaics
6:00 p.m. Chanukah Window Sparklers
<cal1>Thursday/Dec. 25
<cal2>All-Day Chanukah Carnival
10:30-4:00 p.m.