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A Hanukkah Celebration on WRTI: Sunday, December 2nd from 4 to 9 PM

Jessica Nelson/Getty Images
Happy Hanukkah!

Celebrate the Jewish festival of lights with WRTI! While you're spinning the dreidel, and munching on potato latkes, join us for beautiful and uplifting music for the holiday. Hanukkah lasts for eight days, and this year it begins at sundown on Sunday, December 2nd and lasts until sundown on December 9th. Itzhak Perlman kicks off the festivities at 4 PM with his Hanukkah Radio Party.

Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of Hanukkah and shares his favorite recordings to celebrate the holiday—evocative songs in Yiddish and Ladino; classical music that revolves around the Maccabee heroes, and Hanukkah gems by American folk singers.

The master storyteller also regales you with jokes and memories, plus tales of the menorah, the latke, and, of course, the dreidel. Fun for the whole family!

At 5 PM, there's more! Minnesota Public Radio presents Candles Burning Brightly! There's plenty of music from both the Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish communities, plus an exploration of well-loved holiday traditions. Sponsored by People’s Light

At 6 PM on WRTI Classical Stream/HD-2: A Chanukah Celebration with Chicago A Cappella. Join Jonathan Miller, artistic director of Chicago a cappella and a longtime champion of Jewish choral music, for an inspiring and informative show featuring choral music set to Chanukah texts. Familiar tunes include “I Have a Little Dreidel” (both in its original Yiddish form and in a neo-funk Hebrew/English setting), a swing version of “S’vivon” by Steve Barnett, and a lively setting of the traditional melody for “Al-Hanissim” (“For the Miracles”) by Elliot Levine.

Heartfelt original compositions by American and British composers provide added depth of expression to celebrating the holiday. Such works include “Lo Yisa Goy,” a plea for peace by Stacy Garrop; Bob Applebaum’s stirring new version of “Haneirot Halalu”; and movements from the majestic “Hallel Suite” by London-based Daniel Tunkel. All selections are performed by Chicago a cappella, the virtuoso vocal ensemble now in its 23rd season. Jonathan Miller provides liturgical and cultural background as part of this unique look inside old and newer choral Chanukah traditions.

At 7 PM on WRTI Classical Stream/HD-2: A Chanukah Celebration Across the Globe
Illuminate the Festival of Lights with this fascinating world music program - a journey into the rich and varied melodic traditions of countries where Jews have lived and worshiped for centuries, including music from Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Central Asia ...and Africa! You'll hear performances from top New York ensembles East of the River, Shashmaqam, and the Marty Levitt Klezmer Orchestra – plus a recording of the astounding Jewish community of Putti Village, in Uganda. A lively program, full of intriguing treasures.

At 8 PM on WRTI Classical Stream/HD-2: Chanukah In Story and Song with Leonard Nimoy and the Western Wind. The late Leonard Nimoy, and The Western Wind Ensemble recorded this beloved special over a decade ago. They present music and narration that serve as documentary of Chanukah - an eclectic compilation, including Hebrew folk melodies, classical European liturgical music, ancient Sephardic chants, traditional songs and more. This program is for listeners of any background and provides a good introduction to the holiday and the international nature of the Jewish experience.