Metro

Menorahs On Parade

Chabad car caravan lights up the night.

Itchy Glassner of Montreal
gives the electric charger
for the menorah to Sterna
Rosenfeld of Oak Park.

waved at the participants while many more involun-
tarily participated in the ensuing rush-hour traffic
jam.
Traditional Jewish Chanukah tunes resonated
n the evening of Dec. 5, more than 50 cars
through
the wintry air and delighted audiences
stopped traffic on Woodward Avenue,
watching the parade.
as they rolled from Oak Park to West
"It spreads the message of Chanukah to all —
Bloomfield in the annual Chanukah parade spon-
which
is light over darkness. Adding a little light can
sored by the local Chabad-Lubavitch.
push away a lot of dark-
At the head and tail
ness," said Levi Stein, a
of the ensemble were
20-year-old student at
giant menorahs on two
Oak Park's Lubavitch
flatbed trucks. The first
Cheder yeshivah and
as donated by Mayor
parade
organizer.
Donald Williamson
Among
the children
of Flint. Behind this
in
the
limousines
was a
colossal menorah were
group
of
Jewish
public
three stretch Lincoln
school students who
Navigators and one
participate in a weekly
Hummer, escorting
Shabbat education pro-
more than 100 children
gram run by Stein.
through the streets.
Following the parade,
State and city police
Sruly Duchman, 16, of Ne w York City and Levi
guests
and partici-
officers accompanied
Weingarten, 17, of Flint ge t a large menorah ready
pants
reconvened
for a
the participants along
for the top of a car.
Chanukah
party
at
the
their route.
Shul-Chabad
Lubavitch
In addition to
in West Bloomfield. Among the festivities were a
being the second night of Chanukah, the day also
menorah lighting, a special program dedicated to
marked the 50th anniversary of Chabad's presence
children and a raffle for an iPod.
in Michigan. Chabad emissaries held their first
"Sometimes, people forget that Chanukah has
Michigan Chanukah parade in the 1980s, and the
started,
and this is a reminder to them to make sure
festival has occurred annually ever since.
that
they
kindle their menorahs:' Stein said. 1 I
Hundreds of onlookers stood on the sidelines and

Sharon Udasin
Special to the Jewish News

0

Ronald Resnick, driver Allan Scheibman and Shelam Chaim, 9, all

of Oak Park, join the parade.

AI

December 13. 2007

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