By Kevin Coughlin
A choir. Jelly doughnuts. Fire juggling.
Who could ask for a bigger, better Chanukah celebration?
A large crowd took the chill off the Morristown Green for Wednesday’s annual lighting of the giant menorah.
“Each and every person is a candle,” said Rabbi Moishe Gurevitz, as five of eight lamps were lit by rabbis in a cherry-picker.
“You just have to see the light that each person has. Let it shine, and you will shine as well. Do something nice for someone. Try to use nicer words. Donate to a worthy cause. Do another Mitzvah.
“Try to get closer to God, let your soul shine. With so many flames together, we make a very big candle. A very big light. A flame that will light up Morristown and the whole entire world. Happy Chanukah!”
Mayor Tim Dougherty called it the biggest Chanukah turnout he’s seen during his seven years as mayor.
“Rabbi Moishe has done an amazing job of reaching out to the community. They’re really making this something special,” Dougherty said.
Morris Township Committeeman Peter Mancuso also attended the festivities, which were organized by the Rabbinical College of America and its affiliate, Chabad Young Professionals of Morristown. Sponsors included Glassworks Studio, J and S Designer Flooring, and ShopRite of Morristown.
The youth choir of Cheder Chabad of Morristown sang traditional songs with gusto, and Keith Leaf — who returns to Morristown on New Year’s Eve for First Night Morris County–dazzled everyone by juggling daggers and flaming torches. (Do NOT try this at home, kids!)
Chanukah–the Festival of Lights–commemorates a jar of oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Jews recaptured the Temple in Jerusalem from the Syrian Greeks 2,100 years ago. This year’s eight-day celebration started on Dec. 24, 2016.
Wednesday’s events promoted Jewish unity, said Rabbi Gurevitz, while also striving to convey “that every individual, every religion, has a right to …be proud of themselves, and every person whoever they are, should be proud of who they are.”
Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove and Kevin Coughlin