ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Mendon Town Hall on West Main Street will hold a public menorah lighting on Wednesday to mark the eighth and final night of Hanukkah. The ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. and includes donuts and latkes.

The Jewish holiday to celebrate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and religious freedom began at sundown on Wednesday, Dec. 25. It ends at sundown on Thursday, Jan. 2. The Rochester community has celebrated with public menorah lightings for many of the eight nights.

For the first night of Hanukkah, people gathered for a celebration at The Wintergarden and lit a giant outdoors menorah at Washington Square Park on Court Street downtown.

For the second night, on Thursday, a menorah lighting took place at Fairport Village Hall and the lawn of the Henrietta Recreation Center on Calkins Road. News10NBC spoke with people at both events about what Hanukkah means to them:

Ahead of the third night, on Friday, a menorah lighting ceremony took place at Rochester City Hall. Mayor Malik Evans was among the city leaders at the morning ceremony. Rabbi Nechemia Vogel, director of the Kessler Family Chabad Center, said Hanukkah celebrates the victory of light over darkness.

“When it comes to doing good things, there’s never a ‘been there, done that’. There’s always more good to do. In this way together we can make a huge difference and change the world one light at a time,” Vogel said.

For the fourth night, on Saturday, there was an LED menorah lighting across from the Twelve Corners Plaza in Brighton with donuts and latkes.

The fifth night of Hanukkah on Sunday merged a celebration and a Buffalo Bills watch party at the Pittsford Library parking lot. It all started with a car parade from The Jewish Home to the library. Organizers said it’s important to publicly showcase Jewish faith at a time when antisemitism is on the rise.

“So Hanukkah actually is one of the few holidays in Judaism about public celebration,” said Rabbi Yitzi Hein, director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Pittsford. “Even when you light the menorah at home, you light it in the window so people can see the menorah. It’s very fitting. Hanukkah is the first time in history when, a small group won back religious freedom from religious, oppression. That’s why we want to really cherish that freedom and celebrate it in as open and free way as possible.”

On the sixth night, on Monday, there was a menorah lighting at the Four Corners of Penfield and at the Victor Town Hall. The seventh night fell on New Year’s Eve on Tuesday.