The fire that lit the Third Annual Watertown Chanukah Celebration at Arsenal Yards mesmerized and brought warmth to a crowd of several hundred people on Monday evening.
Before the lighting of a menorah, which stood several feet high and was made of ice, the crowd of more than 300 people enjoyed treats, games, crafts, and a performance by a fire dancer.
Rabbi Dovid Zaltzman from Chabad Watertown lit the candles on the menorah with help from Watertown Assistant City Manager for Finance Ari Sky.
This year’s event, coming after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, had a different feel, Zaltzman said.
“I feel like, after all we’ve been through the last year and a half, everybody getting together this evening during the holiday season, when a lot of people are off of work around New Year’s, lighting the menorah built out of ice — when so many people can feel like things are so cold towards them — and to light a fire underneath that ice and bring out that light and warmth in such a cold darkness, is definitely something extremely unique that we haven’t had in previous years,” he said.
Sky attended the Menorah Lighting in place of City Manager George Proakis. He said the
“Chanukah is about community, more than anything else. Community in the sense of a certain unique identity and so true it is how it is identified in times of stress the story of things we can all identify with nowadays, both in America and all over the world, and also in Israel as well,” Sky said. “It is very meaningful to me to be here with all of you and have the opportunity to light the Menorah.”
In these times, Zaltzman said, it is important for the Jewish people to not shut themselves away, but to celebrate publicly.
“We come out here in the open in the hundreds, and we celebrate openly. … We light Shabbat candles. We keep kosher. Celebrate Passover,” he said. “… We get our kids Jewish education. We celebrate our Judaism openly as proud Jews.”
Zaltzman thanked the Watertown Police Department for providing extra security for the Chabad Watertown Center on Mt. Auburn Street. The Watertown Fire Department also participated in the event bringing a ladder truck to do the Gelt (chocolate coins) drop after the Menorah lighting.
Zaltzman and his wife, Shternie, opened Chabad Watertown four years ago.
“It’s a very family like vibe at our community center, people just feel at home. People feel safe. The practice their religion. They don’t feel like they’re being pushed. Everybody’s able to grow at their own pace. And people just feel like they have a home away from home. That’s what we try to give people and be available for people in whatever way possible,” Zaltzman said. “You know, whether it’s with hospital visits, helping a family whose child is battling cancer, visiting seniors, bringing joy to people who might be lonely, Holocaust survivors — visiting them on a weekly basis, afterlife care. You know, children being born, having Life Cycle Services, or just day to day religion, bringing dinner to families, or hanging out with people, music jams is something else that we do. If anybody ever wants to have one-on-one study or come for about dinner, or just to have a coffee with the rabbi, or with the rebbetzin (the Rabbi’s wife) — we’re here, arranging a plaything with our kids.”
Find out more about Chabad Watertown at facebook.com/ChabadWatertown, or chabadwatertown.org/about-chabad
