Families gathered at Piedmont Community Hall on a sunny but chilly Sunday morning this past weekend to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah on Dec. 14. News of a mass shooting that targeted a gathering of the Jewish community on Bondi Beach in Australia was not far from anyone’s mind that morning, but the local event here focused on community and the celebration of light.
Participants enjoyed holiday-themed crafts, music, dreidel, sufganiyot (traditional jelly donuts), and more — all organized by the Piedmont Recreation Department.
The Hanukkah eye spy game near the Japanese Tea House 
Kenny Wong hands out Sufganiyot and donut holes 
Two sisters enjoy Sufganiyot 
Making a dreidel with a little help 
School Board member Max Roman with wife Tory and kids 
The Exedra caught Santa on his first visit to town during the Lights Up, Piedmont celebration on Dec. 3, but missed him when he made a swing back through town on Saturday.