Chanukah in Jerusalem: Dates, Menorah Walks, Sufganiyot and What to Do

25 Sept 2026 · 3 min

Photo: Utilisateur:Djampa - User:Djampa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jerusalem at Chanukah means menorahs in glass boxes outside front doors, doughnuts everywhere, and a week of school holidays. Here is how to enjoy it.

Short answer for 2026: the first candle is lit on Friday evening, 4 December, before Shabbat, and the eighth on Friday 11 December, with the last day on Shabbat 12 December. Chanukah is not a day off work, so shops, offices and public transport run normally, but most schools and ganim close for the middle of the week. Jerusalem's own tradition is lighting outside: in the older neighbourhoods, menorahs burn in glass boxes by the front door, and an evening walk to see them is the best thing to do. Nightly candle-lighting times are on our Shabbat and zmanim page.

Chanukah 2026 at a glance

Friday 4 December: first candle, lit before the Shabbat candles.
Shabbat 5 December: the second candle after Shabbat ends.
Sunday 6 to Thursday 10 December: the third to seventh candles; the school holiday week.
Friday 11 December: the eighth candle, again before Shabbat.
Shabbat 12 December: the last day of Chanukah.

A menorah walk

Go out about half an hour after dark, when the candles are fresh. The older, religious neighbourhoods light at street level: rows of glass boxes along the lanes, families singing in doorways. Good walks:

Nachlaot. Narrow lanes and courtyards full of menorahs, next to Mahane Yehuda.
The Jewish Quarter of the Old City. Menorahs in the alleys and on the rooftops, and the Kotel lighting.
Mea Shearim and Geulah. The most intense, and very traditional: dress modestly, keep your voice down and don't photograph people up close.
Your own street. Most neighbourhoods have at least a few glass boxes.

At the Western Wall

A large menorah is lit at the Kotel each evening of Chanukah, and the plaza is full of families. Dress as you would for the Wall at any time. The Old City guide covers getting there and parking.

Sufganiyot and food

Sufganiyot, jam-filled doughnuts, appear in bakeries weeks before Chanukah, from the classic strawberry to elaborate ones filled with cream, pistachio or dulce de leche. Every bakery chain and the shuk has them; people compare. Latkes are more of a home thing here; the doughnut is the public one.

With children

Most schools and ganim are off from about Sunday 6 to the end of the week; check your own school's calendar. Tzaharonim and holiday programmes run for younger children.
Museums and attractions run Chanukah activities and get busy; book ahead. Jerusalem with kids has the options, including rainy-day ones, since December is often wet.
Children's plays and concerts fill the theatres over the holiday, mostly in Hebrew.
Modiin, the home of the Maccabees, is an easy day out for the story behind the holiday.

Shabbat Chanukah, twice

In 2026 Chanukah includes two Shabbatot. On both Fridays, light the menorah before the Shabbat candles, with candles or oil that will burn until at least half an hour after dark. On Saturday night, light after Havdalah. Shabbat times has the exact times.

Weather

December in Jerusalem is cool and often wet: around 14° by day and 8° at night. Dress warmly for a menorah walk. Weather by month explains the season.

Common questions

When is Chanukah 2026?

From the evening of Friday 4 December to Shabbat 12 December 2026. The first candle is lit on Friday 4 December, before Shabbat.

Are schools closed for Chanukah in Israel?

Most schools and ganim close for several days in the middle of the holiday; in 2026 from about Sunday 6 December. Check your school's calendar.

What is there to do in Jerusalem on Chanukah?

Walk the older neighbourhoods to see menorahs outside the doors, see the lighting at the Kotel, eat sufganiyot, and take children to the museums' Chanukah programmes.