Community Chanukah Festival Set for The Marketplace Dec. 17

Chabad of South Orlando

Chabad Jewish Center of South Orlando with the help of the Dr. Phillips Marketplace and Weingarten Realty Co. has organized a community Chanukah Festival that promises to be a fun event for the whole family.

The festitivies will take place at the Della Drive circle in the Dr. Phillips Marketplace Sunday, Dec. 17, the first night of Chanukah, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Brett, Maisa, Max and Victoria Kingstone light the menorah at the Dr. Phillips Marketplace Chanukah celebration last year. The family is sponsoring the menorah lighting again this year.

There will be a kiddie train ride for little children and live entertainment by singer Chaim Fogelman. The festival will also feature holiday crafts for children to make and take home, kosher cotton candy and raffle prizes. A large menorah sponsored by the Kingstone family, will be lit at 5:15 p.m.

“The mizvah of lighting the menorah by the window or doorway is to make the menorah visible to the public, thereby publicizing the miracles of the story of Chanukah,” said Rabbi Yosef Konikov, director of Chabad of South Orlando.

“Chanukah was the first battle for religious freedom,” said Rabbi Konikov. “Today in America, we celebrate that publicly because Chanukah’s message can warm the hearts of all peoples. This event has become the South Orlando community’s place to be for Chanukah.”

For more information on the festival, call Chabad at 407-354-3660 or send an e-mail to info@JewishOrlando.com