This is your weekly update, which takes a quick look at the week ahead and some developments that El Paso Matters is following.
Chanukah Playland: Chabad Lubavitch, 6516 Escondido Drive, will mark the beginning of Hanukkah by lighting a menorah in an event that begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. City Rep. Brian Kennedy will join the ceremony by lighting the tallest candle, known as the “Shamash.”
“The holiday of Hanukkah underscores the fact that American culture has been enriched by the thriving ethnic cultures which contributed very much, each in its own way, to communal life, both materially and spiritually,” said Rabbi Yisrael Greenberg, spiritual leader at Chabad Lubavitch.
The main holiday event at Chabad Lubavitch, Chanukah Playland, will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. Children will be treated to inflatable rides, bungee jumping, a train ride and more. Treats, crafts, games and dinner will round off the festivities, culminating in the grand outdoor menorah lighting at 4:30pm. RSVP is required for the Chanukah Playland at chabadelpaso.com/playland.
Also, the Jewish Federation of El Paso / Las Cruces will host a Celebrate Hanukkah event at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso. The Festival of Lights event includes the lighting of the menorah at the plaza as part of the WinterFest holiday events.
Lisa Perez, center, was appointed by the El Paso County Commissioners Court as the new judge for the County Criminal Court at Law No. 1 on Monday. (Courtesy El Paso County)
New County Criminal Court at Law No. 1 Judge: The El Paso County Commissioners Court unanimously appointed Linda Perez as the new County Criminal Court at Law No. 1 judge on Monday. She replaces Alma Trejo, who retired to run for El Paso District Attorney. Perez is a native of Fabens, Texas. She has worked as an assistant district attorney, an assistant county attorney and was currently a deputy public defender. Perez’s appointment is effective when she’s sworn in Dec. 18. The appointment will expire on Dec. 31, 2024.
Tracey Jerome, middle, senior deputy city manager, speaks at a City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 20. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
El Paso Deputy City Manager Up for Los Alamos Job: El Paso Senior Deputy City Manager Tracey Jerome is one of two finalists for the county manager job in Northern New Mexico’s Los Alamos County. Jerome and the other finalist, Los Alamos Deputy County Manager Anne Laurent, will take part in a meet-and-greet with the public on Friday in Los Alamos. The Los Alamos County Council will select the new county manager. A third finalist, Gretchen Cassini from Florida, withdrew as a candidate last week. Jerome has worked with the city of El Paso since 2015, starting as director of the Museum and Cultural Affairs Department. She has been in her current role since 2022
New Meta Data Center Coming to El Paso: Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, is set to open a new data center in Northeast El Paso, after city and county officials approved giving the company property tax rebates. In return, Meta is supposed to spend about $800 million to build the new data center, which is required to hire at least 50 people. The company bought nearly 1,040 acres of land near the Texas-New Mexico border for the center.
The post The Week Ahead: Lighting of menorah marks start of Hanukkah appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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