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Monday, December 10, 2001

A camel, snow and fun start to Hanukkah

By JIM HAUG | News-Journal Staff Writer

ORMOND BEACH — With its mountain and snow, a Hanukkah celebration here did not exactly take place in the desert.

But Rabbi Pinchas Ezagui of the Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona wanted to pull out all the stops, so he got a climbing wall (the mountain), 10 tons of crushed ice (the snow), a petting zoo, and an carved ice menorah.

A choo-choo train and Coco the one-hump camel were giving children rides around the synagogue parking lot on Granada Boulevard.

Ezagui goes to extreme lengths to throw a good party because he wants Jewish families to feel proud of their heritage.

"There isn't a large Jewish community here, so sometimes it can be hard to identify with (their religion)," he said.

Hanukkah, an eight-day celebration, officially began at sundown Sunday with the lighting of the menorah.

"A little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness, that's the concept of Hanukkah," said Reuven Silverman of Ormond Beach.

Just as one person can do a lot of evil, so can one person do a lot of good, he said.

Stretching the analogy a little further, Silverman added, "It's Osama bin Darkness versus Chabad-bring-out-the-light."

Incidentally, "United We Stand" T-shirts with patriotically striped menorahs were on sale for $10 each.

The holiday celebrates an ancient military victory and the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem.

The legend of the Hanukkah story is that a jar of oil provided light for eight days when it was only expected to last for a day.

In another show of love overcoming all obstacles, a piglet snuggled against a rabbit at the petting zoo Sunday.

"The piglet and the rabbit are friends; they're so cuddly," cooed Debbie Komins of Ormond Beach, who carried her infant daughter. "That's way cool. It shows you that anything is possible."

Children could also pet goats, sheep, a lama and a zebu, a type of ox.

With the temperatures ranging in the high 70s, children were chucking snowballs at each other Sunday.

Playing with snow was a first time experience for many of these Florida kids, parents said.

"They've always seen it on TV, and now they're finally doing it," said Felicia Komins, Debbie's mother-in-law.

Through the rest of Hanukkah, families will exchange gifts and light a new candle each night until all eight menorah candles are lit.

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