Doughnuts, latkes and smiles at 16th Hanukkah at the Mall
By Connie Bloom
Beacon Journal staff writer
Adam Sandler would have approved.
A crush of jubilant people sang his Hanukkah Song to toe-tapping accompaniment by the Yiddishe Cup Klezmer Band at Summit Mall on Monday, the fourth day of the holiday.
Put on your yarmulke, here comes Hanukkah.
It's so much fun-akkah to celebrate Hanukkah.
A crowd of about 350 packed the open area around Starbucks for the 16th annual Hanukkah at the Mall while holiday shoppers with rustling bags rushed past.
Smiling children batted balloons overhead, while the faint scent of latkes -- potato pancakes -- and sure shape of doughnut boxes had mouths watering.
``We made 800 latkes,'' said organizer Kaila Sasonkin, wife of Rabbi Mendy Sasonkin of Chabad of Akron/Canton and Revere Road Synagogue. There would be plenty -- enough for everyone.
``Hanukkah is the only holiday we advertise the miracle,'' said the rabbi. ``We are told to light the candles in the windows so others can see them.'' Lights symbolize freedom from oppression, hope and redemption.
Efim Scherbakov and David Minghoff, ``new Americans from the former Soviet Union,'' lighted the oil in the traditional menorah and connected the electric menorah, saying a prayer in their native tongue.
Pancakes and doughnuts are considered Hanukkah food because they are cooked in oil, symbolizing the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days after the victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Judah Maccabee was spotted in the crowd. Ethan Dayan, 13, son of Jacob Dayan, wore his warrior's uniform and handed out dreidels -- toy tops -- and Hebrew coins made of chocolate.
Rabbi Sasonkin passed out green bills he called ``Hanukkah gelt -- to make things more exciting.''
They looked an awful lot like George Washingtons.
You can reach Connie Bloom at 330-996-3568 or e-mail cbloom@ thebeaconjournal.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment