Students, parents, educators and friends of Oholei Yosef Yitzchok in Crown Heights gathered for a Chanuka celebration, with a Menorah lighting, rally, raffle and a variety of hands-on Chanukah activities.
A big crowd of OYYL families and friends gathered to light the 5th Chanukah candle and celebrate Chanukah with their children. For a few years now, Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch of Crown Heights has gathered their entire school community of students, parents, educators, and friends for a Chanukah celebration with a public Menorah lighting.
The program included a children’s rally with a raffle and fun Chanukah activity booths. Each child had an opportunity to decorate doughnuts and edible menorahs, paint wooden dreidels, construct a leather pouch for their Chanukah gelt, make their own beeswax shamoshim, string art their own dreidel design, and make beeswax lip balm! The Menorah was ignited by Rabbi Meir Kabakow, OYYL Parent. The event included a milchig buffet served by Mozzarella restaurant.
The evening’s festivities concluded with three Chanukah prize raffles. The first prize drawn was for a special Rebbe coin that was given on Chanukah Nun Alef. This coin was graciously donated for a raffle by Sharon Albukern. The tickets for the raffle were sold as a part of the Crowdfunding Campaign which OYYL held at the beginning of Kislev. All participants who bought 3 bricks, $180 each, were entered into the raffle. The lucky winner to win the Rebbe’s coin was Mazoltuv Borukhova! The latter two prizes – a dinner for two at Mozzarella and a year’s tuition for one child – were raffled for parents who had met their goal for the fundraiser and the winners were Babinett and Gewirtz, Families!
“The 5th candle carries a very special light,” says Rabbi M. Schneiderman, OYYL Educational Director. “The 5th candle never falls on Shabbos and the light which is brought down on this day can elevate even very deep darkness! We are very happy to gather our yeshiva community, on this Shnas Hakhel, during these trying times to unite and celebrate this light and the timeless miracle of Chanukah.”
“It was a truly beautifully arranged Chanukah Party,” says Mrs. L. Goldshtein, OYYL Preschool Director. “Delicious food, fun, engaging, and meaningful hands-on workshops for the children, and a joyous rally with prizes! The spirit of the Chanukah miracle filled everyone and everything through and through! This powerful light revealed at such a special 5th night of Chanukah will definitely be a strong chizuk for all participants! A big Yashar Koyach to all organizers!”
“This Chanukah celebration was an experience. We were so excited to put together this program for the kids and their parents, lighting the lights of Chanukah and sharing them with the community, bringing together unity and care. From the booths to the food, we had in mind a fun and pleasant environment. It was really a great experience for all involved, every detail had a purpose,” says Sophia Serur, OYYL office manager.
“We are very grateful to Hashem for giving us our Rebbe who is inspiring us to invest in the chinuch of our children. We feel very blessed to serve such a beautiful community and look forward to developing this project further both in quantity and quality,” says Mila Schneiderman, OYYL Administrative Director.
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