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Bright Birmingham

12-foot menorah puts shine in Shain Park.

T

he annual lighting of the Shain Park menorah
in Birmingham took place on the third night
of Chanukah, Dec. 8.
More than 100 people gathered for the "Light Up
the Park" event, hosted by the Birmingham Jewish
Connection (BJC). In addition to the lighting of the
new 12-foot high menorah, the celebration included
live music by the Pella Ensemble, fresh donuts and
other refreshments, and holiday prizes for children.
Birmingham Mayor Rackeline Hoff welcomed the
crowd with words of appreciation for the diversity of
the city and the presence of a menorah among other
holiday decorations in the park. Also in attendance
were City Commissioners Stuart Sherman and Pierre

Boutros.
Before climbing the ladder to light the menorah,
BJC Rabbi Boruch Cohen noted that the message of
Chanukah is not to be afraid of "darkness" in the world.
"The heroes of Chanukah were not afraid of the
darkness of their day:' the rabbi said, "because they
knew that a little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness:'
The BJC is a grassroots effort to create a new kind
of community center for Jewish people living in
Birmingham and the surrounding areas. For informa-
tion, visit www.birminghamjewishconnection.org or
BirminghamJewishConnection on Facebook. *

See a related story on the opposite page.

Judi Siegel, Julie Rupple Monblatt and Freda Gill, all of

Birmingham

Judy and David Karp of Birmingham with City

Birmingham resident Jeff Schoenberg

Traci and Dustin Feldman of Birmingham

Annette Reich, City Commissioner Stuart

Commissioner Pierre Boutros

with son Cooper, 11, flanked by twins

with children Charlie, 4, and Laila, 6

Sherman and Rabbi Boruch Cohen, all of

Dylan and Jordan, 7

Menorahs On Parade

Birmingham

Lubavitch Yeshiva students spread the Chanukah lights outward.

Menorahcade passes through Southfield with a police escort.

hile many Jewish families were joining together
for Chanukah gatherings and celebrations, the
students at the Lubavitch Yeshiva-International
School for Chabad Leadership, located at the Harry & Wanda
Zekelman Campus in Oak Park, were busy handing out meno-
rahs on the streets and shopping plazas of Metro Detroit.
"The holiday of Chanukah is about spreading light specifi-
cally in the dark, which is why we educate our students to
spend each evening of Chanukah reminding other Jews who
may not be celebrating or lighting a menorah on their own:'
said Rabbi Mendel Stein, development director at the school.
The students arranged a menorahcade with police escort
through Oak Park, Southfield and Birmingham, which cul-
minated at a menorah-lighting on the lawn of Southfield City
Hall together with the mayor, council members, city officials
and 150 community members. *

The Stein girls pose for a photo in front of the

Southfield menorah.

Rabbi Mendel and Devorah Leah Stein pose with their children in

Chabad Menorahcade vehicles line up in preparation for the

Lubavitch Yeshiva students and a friend, left,

front of the Southfield Menorah fire truck.

parade.

pose in front of their Chanukah mobile.

16 December 24 . 2015

