Chanukah Joy at Jerusalem Station

Photos: Harold Bergstein, Joshua Fleisher, Naomi Greenberg

Chabad of Baka, directed by Rabbi Avraham and Nechama Dina Hendel, organized daily menorah lightings at Tachana Rishona, Jerusalem’s First Station.

The First Station is an outdoor mall located on the site of the Old Train Station in Jerusalem; it is a vibrant place to eat, shop, and have fun.

Jews of every affiliation joined in the menorah lightings, complete with music, donuts and nightly entertainment. From Yoni the Juggler to an inspirational concert with Rabbi Tuvia Bolton of Kfar Chabad to chocolate dreidel making, hundreds of children and adults joined in the festivities.

Michael Lorado played lively music, accompanied by talented violinist Yitzchak Hurwitz, who made aliyah from Crown Heights just a few months ago and is now sharing his gift of music in Jerusalem.

One night was dedicated to the devoted volunteers and children of the South Jerusalem Friendship Circle, which is a project of Chabad of Baka.

The highlight of the week was the 4th candle, commemorating Levi Hendel’s 9th yartzeit. Levi z’l, Rabbi Avraham’s brother, was en route to an IDF base in Eilat to spread the light of Chanuka, when his life tragically ended in a car accident in 2006. Chabad of Baka, otherwise known as Beit Levi, was founded eight years ago in his memory and is now a thriving community focusing on the needs of olim.

Those honored to light the menorah at Tachana Rishona included Bob Rosenschein, Gil Goller, Tamir Goodman, Yonah Ness, and Yossi Chein.

Girls from Yerushalayim seminary and young men from Mayanot took turns assisting with the lightings and programs, and community members contributed towards sponsorship.

Many passersby posed for pictures beside the huge menorah.

“There’s nothing like Chabad!” one Israeli man exclaimed, proudly sharing his connections with Chabad in Chile, New York, and California.

On the last night of Chanuka, together with the lighting at the First Station, Chabad of Baka led a menorah lighting at the Hadar Mall in Baka, with over 100 children in attendance.

One father remarked, “This is the kind of thing that children will remember forever.”