New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu at the Chanukah at the Riverwalk event on Dec. 16, 2014. (Photo by Alan Smason)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The annual event sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Louisiana was held for the past two Chanukah holidays at different locations within the Lakeside Shopping Mall in Metairie due to ongoing construction at the Riverwalk site. The rebuilding efforts had been undertaken by the new owners of the Riverwalk complex, the Howard Hughes Corporation, who have since renamed it the Outlet Collection at the Riverwalk.<\/p>\n
Landrieu extended his greetings to the crowd and personally thanked Chabad for bringing the event back to New Orleans after the two-year hiatus. “May the blessings of Chanukah extend to all people and let them be blessings of peace extended to all people,” he said before leaving the stage.<\/p>\n
A crowd of 200 jammed the area surrounding the fountain at Spanish Plaza enjoying free latkes passed out by Chabad volunteers. Other food and Chanukah necessities like menorahs and candles were sold by Kosher Cajun New York Delicatessen and Grocery. A Dreidel House filled with fun activities for the younger set kept kids busy through the night, while some children enjoyed having their faces painted colorfully.<\/p>\n
Rabbi Zelig Rivkin of Chabad Lubavitch of Louisiana addresses the crowd at the Chanukah at the Riverwalk event for 2014. (Photo by Alan Smason)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The highlight of the night was the lighting of an 11-foot tall Chanukiah, constructed out of wood by New Orleans Holocaust survivor Isak Borenstein of blessed memory, reported to be the largest in the state.<\/p>\n
This year David Halpern was selected to light the shamash and first candle position to commemorate the first night of the eight-night holiday. Prayers for the lighting were accompanied by prayers recited by two young boys, both students at Torah Academy.<\/p>\n
Yoel Sharabi, an Israeli musician and singer, played guitar and sang a number of Chanukah melodies for the enjoyment of the crowd both before and after the lighting ceremony.<\/p>\n
Vivian Cahn served as mistress of ceremonies, a familiar face, who recalled she had served in the same capacity in December of 2005 during the early recovery period following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. She welcomed to the stage her brother, Morris “Buddy” Bart, who along with his wife Cathy have been major financial supporters of the Chanukah event.<\/p>\n
Bart spoke on the resiliency of the New Orleans Jewish community and extended get well wishes to David Kauffman, the previous chief planner of the Chanukah at the Riverwalk events, who has been sidelined due to illness. Kauffman sent a statement regretting his absence for the first time from the event. “But, G-d willing,” the note continued, “I’ll be there next year.”<\/p>\n
David Anderson, a representative of First NBC Bank and a major sponsor of the Chanukah at the Riverwalk event, took time to give credit to the longevity and resiliency of the New Orleans Jewish community, acknowledging that the first Jewish house of worship was erected back in 1827. He also pointed out how members of the Jewish community had significantly affected the arts, being major supporters of Newman School, Touro Infirmary, Delgado Community College and the New Orleans Museum of Art, to name but a few.<\/p>\n
Also speaking to the crowd were Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans president Morton Katz, who introduced Danny Shani, a representative of Rosh HaAyin, the Israeli sister city to New Orleans which shares several cultural exchanges each year.<\/p>\n
Prior to the lighting of the Chanukah menorah, Rabbi Zelig Rivkin, one of the original <\/i>shluchim (emissaries) from Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and the head of Chabad Lubavitch of Louisiana spoke about the importance of the Chanukah holiday. \u00a0His drosh on increasing light set the mood for the lighting ceremony.<\/p>\n
Following the ceremony, Sharabi continued his performance, encouraging the crowd to dance in separate groups of men and women. Ooh La La Entertainment provided the sound system and background music when Sharabi was not performing.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
![\"IMG_3043\"](\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/IMG_3043.jpg\")