KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas alongside local Jewish leaders Thursday night illuminated the City Hall Menorah to celebrate Hanukkah.

“We are reminded that we all have beloved traditions and even share cultural themes and values in common,” said Neta Meltzer, the interim executive director for the American Jewish Committee. “We all share this community and each of our thriving is tied to, and dependent on the thriving of others.”

Across the globe, 15.7 million Jews are celebrating Hanukkah, known as the “Festival of Lights.” In Hebrew, Hanukkah translates to “dedication.” The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

In 164 BC, a group of Jewish fighters, Maccabees, at the command of Judah of Maccabees engaged in battle with the Greek army, which captured the city of Jerusalem in 200 BC.

Judah and his fighters took back the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They attempted to re-light their menorah, a then oil-based candelabra, used in Jewish worship.

The fighters found there was only enough oil to hold light for one day. In a miracle, the menorah remained lit for eight days.

Jews commemorate ancestral efforts in the annual Hanukkah holiday, celebrating freedom from injustice.

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“The Jews have absolutely become a resilient people. Certainly back in the times of Hanukkah but so many different times during our history,” explained Jay Lewis, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. “Now today and in the post-October 7th world, there is rising anti-semitism. Our resilience gets tested again and Hanukkah is a good reminder we are resilient, we are a strong people, and we prevailed many times and we’ll prevail again this year.”

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The 2024 Menorah Lighting celebration at Kansas City’s City Hall has only taken place a handful of times. This year, it symbolizes the Jewish community’s presence in the Metro.

“We started it to make sure everybody knew they were welcome, from all faith communities in Kansas City. But certainly for our Jewish sisters and brothers, that you knew you always have a home here at City Hall,” Mayor Lucas told those in attendance.

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For the first time since 2005, the first night of Hanukkah fell on Dec. 25, Christmas Day. Since 1900, the holiday’s first night has fallen on Christmas five times: 1910, 1921, 1959, 2005, and now 2024.

Judaism follows the 354-day-long lunar calendar, following the length of time it takes for the moon to revolve around the sun.

Hanukkah lasts eight nights. The shorter lunar calendar means each year, the holiday starts 11 days earlier and can begin as early as Thanksgiving.

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“It’s a beautiful metaphor that Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are all right here at the same time. They’re all about light, warmth, and bringing more light into the world. The Jewish community feels totally integrated in the Kansas City Community,” added Lewis. “It’s not this way in every city. In Kansas City, we have multiple religions and cultures that can all be intertwined the way Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah are. The fact we can be inside City Hall having this kind of celebration, I don’t think it gets any better than that.”

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Lewis says Jewish communities have remained safe in history during times of strife through their healthy relationship with elected officials and the government.

Thursday night’s display offered Marcee Levin, an Overland Park native, the chance to become more connected in her hometown.

“I just moved back home after being gone for 40 years,” Levin said. “This ceremony shows strength. Having city hall sponsor this shows the Jewish community in Kansas City is so strong and tight-knit.”

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The first night of Hanukkah was Dec. 25 and the final night is Jan. 2. The 12-foot blue menorah located outside City Hall will illuminate a new candle each night of Hanukkah at 7 p.m.

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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.

The statistics aren’t kind. Eighty percent of pro athletes go broke soon after retiring. Kansas City Chiefs‘ Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will not be among them. Despite NFL stars’ eight-figure contracts, in most cases, their financial literacy does not match their salaries. Brown wants to change that.

“Players often leave their finances up to financial advisers who tend to invest in more traditional avenues, like stocks, because those methods also earn money for the advisers,” Brown told Mansion Global.

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“It hurts, seeing the stories of these guys who end up with nothing,” he said. “It’s a problem within the NFL, specifically for guys like myself who come from a background without a lot of money. We’re not educated on how to handle finances,” Brown, who has earned $25 million during a five-year career, continued.

The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who was first drafted to the NFL in 2019 – first playing for the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens before signing with the Chiefs this year – has cofounded Platinum Pro Capital, a private equity real estate firm with his wife, real estate influencer Zoei Brown. The firm has joined Jason Caraway of Island Sky Investments to educate professional athletes on the advantages of luxury real estate investing – in their case – in the Caribbean and other resort areas.

See Also: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today.

According to Bloomberg, the company has backed an oceanfront luxury condo development in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is renovating a resort in Grand Bahama Island and is planning other projects in South Florida and Costa Rica.

Player investors are not urged to buy high-end rental properties from Brown’s company. Rather, they invest in his fund passively for returns on their money and the option to stay in vacation properties for free during the off-season.

“A lot of guys in our field, they like luxurious things, they are drawn to attractive places,” Brown said. “And a lot of us travel in the offseason, so instead of having a traditional house, they are drawn to places that feel like a vacation. That’s appealing to guys. I feel like it creates a sense of unity. So, owning property on Caribbean islands saves money in the long term because that’s where everybody wants to travel in the offseason. It really caught the eye of a lot of people.”

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Data Skrive

Avery Johnson and the Kansas State Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will meet for the Rate Bowl on December 26, 2024, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN.

You should check out ESPN in order to watch this matchup.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

Learn more about the Kansas State Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

How to Watch Kansas State vs. Rutgers

• When: Thursday, December 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona
• Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Read More About This Game

• Kansas State vs. Rutgers Predictions

Kansas State’s 2024 Schedule

Kansas State 2024 Stats & Insights

• Kansas State is compiling 417.3 yards per game on offense (42nd in the FBS), and rank 38th on defense, yielding 338.6 yards allowed per game.
• Kansas State is compiling 212.8 passing yards per game on offense, which ranks them 84th in the FBS. The defense ranks 78th, giving up 223.7 passing yards per contest.
• The Wildcats are totaling 29.8 points per game on offense this year (50th in the FBS), and they are giving up 21.9 points per game (35th) on the defensive side of the ball.
• The Wildcats have the 34th-ranked defense this season in terms of rushing yards (128 rushing yards allowed per game), and they’ve been better on the other side of the ball, ranking 16th-best with 204.5 rushing yards per game.
• Kansas State ranks 75th in third-down efficiency (39.6%) on offense and 50th in third-down conversion rate allowed (36.7%) on defense this year.
• With 14 forced turnovers (90th in the FBS) against 15 turnovers committed (40th in the FBS), the Wildcats’ -1 turnover margin ranks 65th in college football.

Kansas State 2024 Key Players

Rutgers’ 2024 Schedule

Rutgers 2024 Stats & Insights

• Rutgers ranks 72nd with 381.2 total yards per game on offense, and it ranks 83rd with 382.4 total yards allowed per game on the defensive side of the ball.
• Rutgers ranks 92nd in the FBS with 204.9 passing yards per contest on offense, and it ranks 95th with 234.1 passing yards given up per game on the defensive side of the ball.
• In terms of points scored the Scarlet Knights rank 70th in the FBS (27.9 points per game), and they are 57th defensively (23.8 points allowed per contest).
• The Scarlet Knights are putting up 176.3 rushing yards per game on offense this season (46th-ranked). Meanwhile, they are allowing 148.3 rushing yards per game (67th-ranked) on defense.
• Rutgers is putting up a 42.9% third-down conversion rate on offense this season (40th-ranked). Meanwhile, it is surrendering a 41.8% third-down rate (91st-ranked) on defense.
• After forcing 12 turnovers (109th in the FBS) and turning the ball over eight times (second in the FBS) this season, the Scarlet Knights own the 44th-ranked turnover margin of +4.

Rutgers 2024 Key Players

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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