Hanukkah 2024: How Jewish New York is celebrating this year

Yes, Hanukkah is “late” this year — in 2024, the holiday begins the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 25, and the last candle on the hanukkiah will be lit on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 1.  But for all the impatient party people among us, we have good news: This year’s festivities start long before Hanukkah itself.

Looking for something to do this Hanukkah season? From family-friendly afternoons to late-night parties, hand-on arts and crafts experiences to doughnut duels, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the Festival of Lights in New York City.

Keep scrolling for our list of Hanukkah events across the city this year. 

Are you hosting a Hanukkah event that’s open to the public? Send us an email with the details at jstrauss@jewishweek.org if you’d like to be added to the list. 

Dec. 12 | Kii NYC Hanukkah Party

Kii NYC, an organization that plans events for young Jewish adults, is hosting their annual Hanukkah party on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The event will include a live DJ, open bar, latke and donut bars, and a photo booth. Buy tickets here for $50; the location will be sent upon purchase for security purposes.

Dec. 13 | JCC Family Celebration (Infants + Toddlers)

On Friday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m., the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.) is having a Hanukkah celebration for families with children ages 4 and under, complete with storytelling, activities and treats. Pre-registration required; adults pay $15 per child. Click here to learn more.

Dec. 14 and 15 | Tablet Magazine Hanukkah Bazaar

Tablet Magazine’s Hanukkah Bazaar is running at Iron23 (29 West 23rd St.) on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sunday, Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Over 60 vendors will be there selling gifts and goodies. Tickets are $18, or $5 with a student ID; children under 13 get in free. Buy tickets and learn more here.

Dec. 15 | Temple Emanu-El (pre-)Hanukkah Factory

Temple Emanu-El is hosting an immersive celebration for families with young children in their I. M. Wise Hall (1 East 65th St.) on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m until noon. Activities include building beautiful ritual objects and more hands-on learning that brings the holiday to life. Buy tickets here for $25; members attend for free.

Dec. 15 | 92NY “Chanukah Extravaganzukah”

The 92nd Street Y is hosting an interactive family concert led by Rebecca Schoffer at their Kaufmann Concert Hall (1395 Lexington Ave.), Sunday Dec. 15 at 10:30 a.m. The fun will continue after the concert with activities like face painting, juggling and snacking on latkes and sufganiyot. Get tickets, from $5, here.

Dec. 15 | Jewish Museum Family Day

Head to the Jewish Museum’s Scheuer Auditorium (1109 Fifth Ave.) to celebrate Hanukkah with art-making and music on Sunday, Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets, $15, include museum admission; members and children under 18 attend free. Learn more and purchase tickets here. 

Dec. 15 | Astoria Center of Israel Hanukkah Party

The Astoria Center of Israel (2735 Crescent St., Queens) is hosting their Hanukkah party on Sunday, Dec. 15, from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. The afternoon will include face painting, crafts, cookie decorating and, at 4 p.m., a puppet show by Wonderspark Puppets. Get tickets — $25 per family or $7 per person — here.

Dec. 15 | Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Holiday Extravaganza

On Sunday, Dec. 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (58 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn) is hosting a multicultural “Holiday Extravaganza” during which guests can enjoy BKCM’s klezmer ensemble, photos with Santa, holiday crafts from around the world and much more. RSVPs are required and pay what you wish to get in; the suggested ticket price is $20. Learn more and RSVP here.

Dec. 18 through Jan. 5 | “Bashevis’s Demons”

Just in time for Hanukkah, the Congress for Jewish Culture presents “Bashevis’s Demons,” an off-Broadway production at Theatre 154 (154 Christopher St.) that adapts three short stories by Nobel Prize-winning Polish-American writer Isaac Bashevis Singer. The show, which will be performed 15 times during its run from Dec. 18 through Jan. 5, will be performed in the original Yiddish alongside English subtitles. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.

Dec. 18 | Town & Village 20s, 30s, 40s Party

People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are invited to Town & Village Synagogue (334 East 14th St.) for a night of drinks, snacks and fun to celebrate Hanukkah, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 18. Tickets are $18 online, $25 at the door. Get them here.

Dec. 18 | The Hanukkah Doughnut Duel

One of the greatest joys of Hanukkah is eating sufganiyot, traditional Hanukkah jelly-filled doughnuts. To that end, Brooklyn Jewish center The Neighborhood and host Jeremy Jacobowitz are putting on “The Great Chanukah Doughnut Duel” at the Moxy Hotel (353 Bedford Ave.) on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. Attendees will have a chance to sample doughnuts from various eateries, including Mesiba, K’far and Breads Bakery. Must be 21+ to attend; buy tickets here for $36.

Dec. 19 | “Hanukkah Lights, TV Nights, and Kosher Bites” 

Co-presented by our partners at Hey Alma, the Museum of Jewish Heritage (36 Battery Pl.) is hosting an evening that includes kosher Chinese food, a dreidel tournament and Hanukkah-themed bingo, all while watching classic Hanukkah TV episodes. Join the fun on Thursday, Dec. 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. Entry is free, and optional dinner costs $36, or $18 for members; register here.

Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve for the Jews: A Night of Stand-up Comedy

City Winery NYC (25 11th Ave.) presents “Joel Chasnoff: Christmas Eve for the Jews,” a night of stand-up comedy featuring a lineup of comics that includes Talia Reese, Brian Gelfand and Marcus Lustig. Buy tickets here, starting at $32; the show starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 5:30.

Dec. 24 | Matzoball Jewish singles event

Matzoball, a Jewish singles event held annually on Christmas Eve, is taking place on Dec. 24 from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. at Slate NY (54 West 21st St.). The party will include a live DJ performance; admission is $50, or $75 for a fast pass. Buy tickets here; attendees must be 21 or older.

Dec. 25 | Museum at Eldridge Street Jazzukkah Concert

While much of the city shuts down for Christmas, the Museum at Eldridge Street is hosting a concert by The Jazzukkah Project, an ensemble of artists who’ll be reimagining and infusing jazziness into classic Hanukkah tunes, followed by the lighting of the first candle. The event starts at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25. Get tickets here; adults pay $25, students $20, children $15, and admission is free for kids under 5. 

Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 | World’s Largest Menorah Lightings

Organized by Chabad of Park Slope, join Rabbi Shimon Hecht and guests as they light Brooklyn’s largest menorah — with the help of a 60-foot boom lift — at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. The first night’s lighting will be preceded by a kickoff concert starting at 4 p.m. on Dec. 25. The time of candle-lighting changes nightly, so be sure to check the full schedule here. Attendance is free and open to the public. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, another 32-foot-tall, massive steel menorah will be lit every evening in the borough’s own Grand Army Plaza, at Fifth Ave. and 59th St. (across from the Plaza Hotel). 

Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 | Yo La Tengo at the Bowery Ballroom

Indie rock band Yo La Tengo is playing a show each night of Hanukkah at the Bowery Ballroom (6 Delancey St.), a tradition they’ve maintained in NYC nearly every year since 2001. During their eight-night run, the band doesn’t repeat songs, and they bring an array of special musical guests and comedians to open the show. More info here.

Dec. 26 | JCC 20s + 30s Party

Young adults ages 21-39 are invited to the annual Hanukkah party at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.) on Thursday, Dec. 26, from 7 to 10 p.m. For $36, enjoy an open bar, DJ set, photo booth and Hanukkah treats. Get tickets here.

Dec. 27 | Yiddish New York “Shabesnukkah”

Yiddish New York, a festival of Yiddish music, culture and language, is running from Dec. 21 to 26. Then, on Friday, Dec. 27, YNY is joining with Hazzan Josh Breitzer at Brooklyn’s Congregation Beth Elohim (274 Garfield Pl.) at 6:30 p.m. for a post-festival, “klezmerish/yiddishlekh” Shabbat service that also celebrates the third night of Hanukkah. Get more information here.

Dec. 29 | YIVO Hanukkah Concert

The legendary Andy Statman Trio are playing at YIVO and the American Society for Jewish Music’s annual concert celebration at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (15 West 16th St.) Sunday, Dec. 29 at 3 p.m. Opening for the renowned klezmer and avant-garde jazz clarinetist is Tony Award-winning director, actress and author Eleanor Reissa, who will read a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Admission is $18; YIVO and ASJM members pay $12, seniors and students pay $9. Buy tickets here.

Dec. 29 | Seaport Menorah Lighting

Head to the Heineken Riverdeck at Pier 17 (89 South St.) for the South Street Seaport’s annual menorah lighting hosted by the Chabad Jewish Center of FiDi, Sunday Dec. 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. The family-friendly celebration will include latkes, hot cocoa, live music, arts and crafts and — get this — a six-foot-tall menorah made of chocolate. Attendance is free; RSVP here.

Jan. 1 | Gatsby New Years!

Ring in the new year with a Great Gatsby-themed Hanukkah party on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 7:45 p.m. Hosted by the Manhattan Jewish Experience (131 W 86th St., 10th floor), dress to impress at this Roaring ‘20s-inspired affair that will feature a menorah lighting, open bar, latkes, sufganiyot and a live DJ. Buy tickets now for $15, or on the day of for $25.