JEWSINTHED | FACE&PLACES
Lighting Up Chanukah on the Eastside JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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or the first time, Jewish families who live in eastern Oakland County had a Chabad Chanukah event of their very own. On Dec. 13, the Chabad Jewish Center of Troy arranged a very large public Menorah lighting in Troy, attended by 350 people who joined from the safety of their cars. “This must have been the largest Jewish celebration that the entire eastside has seen in a very long time, and for sure a first for a Chanukah!” said Rabbi Menachem Caytak, co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Troy.
The drive-in Chanukah event saw the lighting of a 12-foot menorah, followed by a fire show for all to enjoy. Local dignitaries, including Mayor Ethan Baker of Troy and members of city council attended. A large stage and video wall were set up at the Troy Technology Park to project the event so people could easily see what was happening. “I felt proud that the Jewish community on this side of town was able to gather like this and celebrate Chanukah in such a fashion,” Caytak said. “I’m excited, excited for what this community has in store. I feel
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that there is only growth for the future of this community.” The event was the brainchild of Caytak, whose Chabad center serves families throughout the eastside. Most of the approximately 1,000 Jewish families on the eastside live in Troy and Rochester Hills, he says, and nearly half are engaged with the Chabad center. The pandemic may have slowed the center down, but it hasn’t stopped it. “Ever since the pandemic started, we never sat back. Every holiday, every event, we sat and brainstormed, thinking out of the box, how to
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best serve the Jewish community in a safe way, all inspired by Rabbi Schneerson’s message of love,” Caytak said. “When Chanukah came around, we knew that especially this holiday, whose message is spreading light, needed to be celebrated on the largest scale possible in a safe way. We came up with this Menorah drive-in idea, and we probably got more people in Troy to come together for Chanukah, then if we had done a more traditional Chanukah party.” Caytak wants to call out Friedman Real Estate for providing the venue, as well as Pegasus Entertainment, Lisa Fenkell, Barry Drillman and Eli Puretz for their help in making the event a success.
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1. James Silver brought his children to the Chanukah celebration. 2. The Bednarsh family enjoys the festivities. 3. The eastside menorah is lit by Scott Shefman, executive managing director of Friedman Real Estate. Also on stage are Troy Mayor Ethan Baker, Troy City Councilwoman Ellen Hodorek, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive director of the Friendship Circle of Michigan, and Chana Caytak, co-director of Chabad Jewish Center of Troy. Rabbi Menachem Caytak, co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Troy looks on.
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DECEMBER 24 • 2020
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