We know the importance of celebrating our heritage at Aviva, a campus for senior life. Our campus is rooted in Jewish values and we take every possible chance to celebrate the heritage that brings us together. Chanukah is a special time for the residents of Aviva, so we spent all eight nights celebrating and creating new traditions together!

Lighting the First Candle

Chanukah is a celebration of family and togetherness and we gave our residents the opportunity to spread the message with local children in the community.We celebrated the first night of Chanukah with 25 children and their parents who are part of the Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS). Many of the children weren’t Jewish and didn’t know what Chanukah was or how to celebrate. Hand-in-hand with Aviva residents, the children learned Chanukah songs, made paper menorahs using their handprints, and enjoyed some delicious homemade latkes! To end the afternoon, the children went to our Anchin Memory Care unit to hand out their Chanukah cards and spread some of their Chanukah spirit!

Menorah Extravaganza

Every year we hold a Menorah Extravaganza for our residents, and this Chanukah was no different. With the help of our residents, Aviva was able to simultaneously light 80 menorahs, filling the night with light and warmth.We added a new tradition to our annual Menorah Extravaganza, making this year the best yet! We were joined by local Aviva family member, Lori Solomon, and her collection of 30 menorahs this year. What made this celebration so exceptional was the stories shared. Using her menorahs to trace her family history, Lori told everyone how her family made the journey through Austria in the 1800s.

It’s a Community Thing

We love our local community and take pride in any opportunity to enjoy their company. To continue the Chanukah festivities, students from the Sarasota Community Day School put on a special performance for the Aviva residents.From their performance, we received the best gift of all – smiles and laughter. The students visited our Independent Living and Assisted Living buildings, singing, dancing and ringing in the Chanukah spirit with all!Chanukah is a special time of year, and a great reason to celebrate the heritage our campus is founded on. At Aviva, we strive to celebrate the traditions that bring us together each and every year. No matter the holiday or time of year, we take pride in giving our residents so many reasons to celebrate.To find out more information about Aviva’s evergreen community, click here.