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In observance of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah that's now under way, the Chabad of the Tri-Valley will host its 8th Annual Chanukah Wonderland at Stoneridge Shopping Center from 5:30-7 p.m. today with its large menorah to be lit at 6:30 p.m.

The eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began at sundown Friday and some Bay Area residents celebrated by lighting the first candle of the menorah, or candelabra.

Yesterday, the Chabad of the Tri-Valley held presentations by students of its Hebrew School in a ceremony held at Harvest Park Middle School.

In San Francisco, the Festival of Lights, which commemorates the tale of triumph of a small band of Jewish fighters over the Syrian Army, was held at Ghirardelli Square last night.

The Jewish Learning Institute of San Francisco and the Jewish movement group Chabad teamed up to light a 9-foot menorah at the square located at Beach and Larkin streets.

A lighting ceremony will be held in Union Square each night at 5 p.m., except for a 3 p.m. lighting next Friday, until the last night on Dec. 15 when the holiday tradition since 1975 will take on something new, Webster said.

At 6:30 p.m. the final night a smaller 10-foot menorah will be lit on the second floor of the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall at 865 Market
St.

A final night celebration will follow with Hanukkah treats, dreidel spinning and other family-friendly activities at the free event.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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