Giant menorah at Blue Back Square, West Hartford

Although the temperature outside was hovering close to the freezing mark, those gathered at Blue Back Square to celebrate the fifth night of Chanukah with music, food and the lighting of a giant menorah were kept warm by the heated tent – as well as their own high spirits. “The message of Chanukah,” explained Rabbi Joseph Gopin, director of Chabad of Greater Hartford, “is one of hope in the face of extreme adversity. It’s a message with broad appeal to everyone who believes in religious freedom, and that faith and determination can triumph against even the most overwhelming odds.”