Orange County Celebrates Chanukah with a Sweet Twist

What sweeter way to make Chanukah memorable than a menorah with 100 pounds of jellybeans, sandy candy dreidels and Chanukah Candy Grams?

There was something sweet for everyone at Chabad’s “Chanukah in Candy Land” party, a twist on their annual Chanukah Bowl. The event was hosted by Chabad of Orange County, directed by Rabbi Pesach & Chana Burston.

Building an eight-foot high jellybean Menorah was one of the many exciting highlights. Children used funnels to pour one hundred pounds of jellybeans into clear pvc pipes and constructed the tubes into the shape of the Menorah. “This is the sweetest Menorah I have ever seen!” said Ryan Pearlman, 9, as he watched Rabbi Pesach Burston insert the lanterns to light the completed giant jellybean Menorah. Ryan’s father, Steve Pearlman, of Chester, helped design the innovative Menorah.

Chabad transformed Colonial Lanes in Chester into “Chanukah in Candy Land.” Sweet-tooth activities included Decorating a Maccabbee Man at Gingerbread Forest, Sandy-Candy Dreidels at Candy Castle, Digging for Chanukah surprises in Gramma Nut’s Treasure Chest, Gelt Ring Toss at Chocolate Swamp and Chanukah Candy-grams from Mr. Mint. Children were challenged with a Chanukah Questionnaire in Lollypop Woods and enjoyed face painting with Princess Lolly. Giant lollypops, candy canes and gumdrops hung decoratively throughout the room, and a colorful “Candy land path” led eager children from one booth to the next.

The festive event included bowling and playing dreidel, hot buffet dinner and desserts, including a candy-land cake, and raffles for giant lollypops drawn throughout the evening.

Rabbi Pesach Burston led the crowd of over two hundred participants in the Jelly-Bean Menorah lighting ceremony. Chester town supervisor Steve Neuhaus was honored with lighting the shamash candle, and other candles were lit by depute supervisor Alex Jamison, judge Carol Klein, Jewish Federation president Jack Berkowitz, the Pearlman family and the Schwartz family.

Following the Menorah lighting, the students of Chabad Hebrew School entertained the crowd with a variety of holiday songs, including a “Chanukah Latke Rap” wearing costumes of Chanukah themed sashes, sparkling bowties, hats and sunglasses.

“Chanukah carries many unique messages of good triumphing evil, a little bit of light conquering a lot of darkness…we want children to have sweet Chanukah memories for years to come,” Chana Burston explained, while helping children decorate their Gingerbread Macabbee Men Cookies.

“The real idea is not the candy but the education they learn in the process,” added Rabbi Pesach Burston.

Burston and his wife, Chana, who have three children, moved to Orange County close to six years ago to establish the Chabad center in Orange County. They are working to cultivate traditions and knowledge among Jews at all levels of observance. The international Chabad Lubavitch movement has more than 4,000 centers worldwide.

Chana Burston, co-director of Chabad of Orange County, with some children decorating gingerbread Maccabbee man cookies, one of the booths at Chabad’s “Chanukah in Candy Land”

Esther Tychuk, 4, of Harriman, pictured with Chana Burston, decked in her Chanukah in Candy Land “gear:” Painted face, kosher sandy candy dreidel necklace and the gingerbread Maccabbee man cookie she decorated

Chester Town Supervisor Steve Neuhaus lights a candle of the jellybean menorah

Students of Chabad Hebrew School entertain the crowd with a Chanukah “Latke rap” during the jellybean Menorah Lighting Ceremony