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13,744 in the Building see Chabad Light the Lamp!

UNIONDALE, NY [CHI] — As the horn sounded ending the first period of the game between the NY Islanders and the Boston Bruins, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, a 6 foot Menorah was ushered onto the ice amidst great fanfare.

While many had come to watch a hockey game, a large contingent of Jews from throughout Long Island, attended the game on the second night of Chanukah to watch Chabad of West Hempstead light the Menorah. The game was billed as “Miracle on Ice II” not as a re-enactment of the USA Olympic gold medal victory in 1980, but as the second annual commemoration of the Chanukah Miracle during the Islanders game.

Rabbi Yossi Lieberman of Chabad of West Hempstead was accompanied by Zachary Finkelman and Yair Gross, to the tune of “I have a little dreidel” being played over the loud system.

The crowd was called to attention, the microphone given to Rabbi Lieberman, who wished all in attendance a Happy Chanukah, and proceeded to be M’kadesh Shem Shomayim B’rabim, as the Berachot were recited before the largest indoor gathering of Menorah lighting ever on Long Island.

The Pirsumei Nissah was evident as after the oil wicks produced the flames of light, and as “Al Hanisim” was being played, Rabbi Lieberman returned to man the Chabad kiosk in the Coliseum concourse and together with volunteer assistants distributed hundreds of menorahs and candles to interested Jews who did not otherwise have a menorah at home to light, together with dreidels and chocolate Chanukah “gelt”.

After all the Yiddishe excitement, the Islanders themselves contributed to the theme of the evening and defeated the Boston Bruins on a “miraculous” goal in overtime.

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