{"id":16459,"date":"2015-12-18T00:07:25","date_gmt":"2015-12-18T08:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=16459"},"modified":"2015-12-16T11:59:09","modified_gmt":"2015-12-16T19:59:09","slug":"lighting-up-lower-mainland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2015\/12\/18\/lighting-up-lower-mainland\/","title":{"rendered":"Lighting up Lower Mainland"},"content":{"rendered":"

The lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah at Vancouver Art Gallery also featured some clowning around. (photos by Glenn S. Berlow)<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"photo<\/p>\n

Among the many community celebrations of Chanukah this year were, from the first to fourth night of the holiday, gatherings in Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and the North Shore.<\/p>\n

More than 300 people gathered at Vancouver Art Gallery on the first night of Chanukah, Dec. 6, for the lighting of the tallest menorah in Canada, the Silber Family Agam Menorah. The children enjoyed crafts and entertainment inside the gallery and then everyone went outside (in the pouring rain!) for doughnuts and cocoa. The annual event, which is sponsored by the Silber family in memory of Fred Silber z\u201dl, featured greetings from the dignitaries and politicians who were present, live Chanukah music by Dr. Anders Nerman and the menorah lighting led by members of the Silber family.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/p>\n

\"photos
Gary Averbach, left, and Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie light the menorah in Richmond, where there was also live music by Anders Nerman. (photos from Richmond Public Library)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Approximately 300 adults and kids celebrated the second night of Chanukah with the lighting of a giant menorah, live music by Nerman, magic by Yeeri the Magician, and traditional potato latkes and sufganiyot at the Richmond Library and Cultural Centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cSharing the Jewish Festival of Light with so many people was an incredible community celebration that really expanded cultural awareness,\u201d said Shelley Civkin, library communications officer. Three generations of the Averbach family joined Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie in lighting the menorah.<\/p>\n

The event was held in partnership with the City of Richmond, Vancouver Kollel, the Richmond Public Library and the Ebco group of companies. \u201cThe evening started off with Yeeri the Magician performing his magic for families, then singer and guitarist Anders Nerman played music while the menorah was being lit,\u201d said Civkin. \u201cIt was a lively event and there was even a Chanukah miracle \u2013 no rain!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/p>\n

\"photo
After the menorah lighting, the Iron Chef Chanukah competition began in Surrey. (photos from Centre for Judaism)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the third night of Chanukah in Surrey, after the menorah lighting led by Rabbi Falik Schtroks, and a dairy and latke dinner, those who attended the event at the Centre for Judaism, Chabad in White Rock\/Surrey, participated in the third Iron Chef Chanukah. Iron chef Marat Dreyshner was helped by sous chefs Ella Dreyshner, Rabbi Nuta Yisroel Shurack and Debbie Cossever. Competing for this year\u2019s title was award-winning pizza chef Aaron Gehrman and culinary expert Rae Friedlander Sank, who worked with sous chefs Nissim Gluck and Avraham Nissan Zabylichinski. Host and director of Iron Chef Chanukah, Rebbetzin Simie Schtroks, said that, although this year was the fiercest competition yet, there was an energetic and fun atmosphere in the Iron Chef kitchen. Many in the audience tried to assist the teams with small tasks or by keeping them entertained with Chanukah songs. Ethan Dreyshner helped the rebbetzin as second emcee and interviewer. Mariasha Schtroks created the rating sheets for the judges. While prizes were earned by all participants, the winning team and their friends will be treated to a five-course gourmet dinner catered by Simie Schtroks. Scores were so close that you will have to attend next year\u2019s Iron Chef to find out which team won.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\"photo
Chabad of North Shore Rabbi Mendy Mochkin speaks at the first-ever menorah lighting at Lonsdale Quay. (photo by Shula Klinger)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The evening of Dec. 9 saw the first-ever menorah lighting at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. Set against the backdrop of downtown Vancouver, the event was hosted by Chabad of North Shore Rabbi Mendy and Rebbetzin Miki Mochkin and their family.<\/p>\n

Rabbi Mochkin opened the occasion with a few words about the meaning of Chanukah. He stressed the importance of standing one\u2019s ground in the face of adversity, and the value of picking oneself up, no matter how hard one has fallen. The menorah was lit by Rabbi Yitzchak Wineberg, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch BC.<\/p>\n

Doughnuts were enjoyed by everyone and the kids had a grand time at the impromptu Dreidel Station.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\"photo
Flora Field, left, and Emily Glass, students learning Yiddish with Haya Newman at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, take time out for Chanukah. (photo by Haya Newman)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah at Vancouver Art Gallery also featured some clowning around. (photos by Glenn S. Berlow) Among the many community celebrations of Chanukah this year were, from the first to fourth night of the holiday, gatherings in Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and the North Shore. More than 300 people gathered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[781],"tags":[5122,2855,5120,2517,3647,2856,5063,1710,4921,4789,5123,5121,186],"class_list":["post-16459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holidays","tag-averbach","tag-centre-for-judaism","tag-chabad-of-north-shore","tag-chanukah","tag-haya-newman","tag-iron-chef","tag-mochkin","tag-peretz-centre","tag-richmond-public-library","tag-shula-klinger","tag-silber","tag-wineberg","tag-yiddish"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}