Hanukkah in northern Israel is a wonderful time of year. There are Hanukkah events taking place all across the region. Towns and villages each host their own variety of activities with an especially large number of activities in the holy city of Safed. Check out some of the top events happening during Hanukkah in northern Israel.
Check back to this page later to see 2023’s special Hanukkkah events. In the mean time, see how we celebrated Hanukkah in 2022 below.
Also check out our article about Hanukkah, Hanukkah events in Israel, and Hanukkah in Jerusalem.
Hanukkah events in Northern Israel
Hanukkah in Haifa
The Holiday of Holidays celebration happens annually in Haifa. This event offers a multitude of festivities to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and Ramadan. Every day you can find concerts, food stands, and street celebrations. The festival takes place in the Arab Wadi Nisnas neighborhood and goes until the German Colony at the foot of the Bahai Gardens.
With Hanukkah being the festival of oil, there’s no better way to start than at the Museum of Edible Oil Production. The museum traces the history of Israel’s cooking oil industry from thousands of years ago to the present day.
Visit the Haifa Museum for special Hanukkah workshops and catch a Hanukkah play during the school break at the Haifa Municipal Theater.
There are so many other things to do around Haifa and Hanukkah (especially for those who have a break and kids at home) is the perfect time to do them.
Hanukkah in Safed
Safed (or Tzfat) is one of the most interesting cities in Israel. It’s also one of the best places to be during Hanukkah. One of the most memorable experiences to have in Safed during Hanukkah is to join a nightly Hanukkah Candle Tour. Shvil HaLev and the Tzfat Kabbalah Center offer nightly tours where you can hear the stories of Hanukkah and see the traditions of Hanukkah candle-lighting in the Old Jewish Quarter.
Another great thing to do in Safed during Hanukkah is to visit Safed’s old city dairy workshops to observe the cheese-making process while sampling some of the sheep and goats’ milk products. Eating dairy products during Hanukkah is a tradition in honor of the Jewish heroine Judith who helped gain an important victory with her homemade cheese.
Celebrate Hanukkah at Livnot U’Lehibanot’s community center, with activities for the whole family, music, stories, and tours of 16th century Safed excavations.
To visit Safed, book a customized private tour.
Go to Jerusalem for the holiday
Jerusalem is the most exciting place in Israel to spend Hanukkah, and now you can experience the magic of the bestival of light like a local. Spend a day of the holiday in Israel’s capital and join this special Hanukkah in Jerusalem evening tour to get the best of the holiday.
