Hanukkah began Tuesday night, marking eight nights of celebration for followers of Judaism. The Jewish holiday marks a military victory over the Greeks and the reclamation of the holy temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century BCE.

Adults and children from throughout the metro, including students at Talmud Torah in St. Paul and members of Beth Jacob Congregation in Mendota Heights, gathered Wednesday night for a celebration.

Children learned about their faith, played dreidel games, and visited tables with information about food donation and hunger. 

Later in the evening, food donations were stacked into a "hanukiah," Hebrew for menorah, and the crowd enjoyed traditional fried foods and songs.