By COLlive reporter
Chabad of Delray Beach in Florida hosted its annual Public Menorah Lighting Ceremony on the evening of Sunday, December 22 at Delray Marketplace. Over 700 Jews, and even non-Jews alike, attended. Festivities included Ice Sculpting and Lighting, Cirque Dou Performance and Glowbot.
NY Giants former two-time Super Bowl Champion Mathias Kiwanuka was a guest of honor who was invited to light the Shamash candle.
Rabbi Sholom Ber Korf, who is the spiritual leader of the Delray Beach community, was joined by his three new Shluchim to Delray Beach — Rabbi Yaakov Perman, Rabbi Mendy Heber and Rabbi Yossi Shapiro.
He was also joined by his father, Rabbi Gedalia Korf, who was in Delray Beach to attend the event and celebrate his 90th birthday with his family.
“The annual Public Chanukah Lighting in Delray is always a fun and exciting event to all the residents and visitors to our area of South Florida,” Rabbi Sholom Ber Korf said.
Rabbi Korf was thrilled with the turnout and is grateful the event went off as planned, despite inclement weather which had threatened the festivities.
“The night before the event, the management company of the venue informed us that because of the weather forecast of high winds and rain, the event would need to be canceled,” Rabbi Korf told COLlive.
“The management company granted our request to wait until the next day to make the final decision. Rabbi Gedalia Korf sent a letter to the Rebbe’s Ohel, asking for a blessing for good weather, and despite the forecast, they allowed us to hold the event,” Rabbi Korf said.
“With all the prayers of the Shluchim in South Florida and with the Rebbe’s blessings, we had our own little ‘miracle’ and the Chanukah lighting took place as planned,” he said.
The Chanukah Lighting in Delray Beach was organized in partnership with Rabbi Yosef Raichik and his Chabad of West Boynton Beach.
