Jewish Tradition Celebrated Through Parade

The Group from Chabad of Orange County that joined The Great Parade in Brooklyn

A busload of community members from Chabad of Orange County joined communities from across the country for a parade in Brooklyn, NY.

The parade was in honor of the Jewish festival of Lag B’omer. Lag B’omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, a festival between Passover and Shavuot (this year May 18-20), commemorates the end of a horrendous plague which killed thousands of the students of the great sage, Rabbi Akiva and also commemorates the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the kabalistic work known as the Zohar. Lag B’omer is traditionally celebrated with outings, bonfires, and other joyous events.

“This event provided a unique opportunity for our community to experience a large-scale event which promotes the feeling of Jewish pride and unity with tens of thousands of children and adults from all over,” says Rabbi Pesach Burston, director of Chabad with his wife, Chana, who together led the parade trip.

“We thank Rabbi Pesach and Chana for organizing this wonderful day,” says Irit Pinkus, of Chester, who attended with her two young daughters. “We had a great time and were uplifted by the Jewish spirit.”

The day of celebration included a parade led by US Army marching bands followed by clown motorcades, school marching bands, international musicians, banners and truck-mounted floats along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway in front of Chabad World headquarters. Chabad of Orange County’s community proudly marched in this spectacular parade, wearing parade t-shits and holding signs.

Participants also enjoyed a live concert presented by world-renowned Jewish singers and a street fair with kosher concessions. The Orange County children loved singing along in the concert to many Jewish songs they had learned with Chabad at Camp Gan Israel and Chabad Hebrew School.

“This is the love for Judaism and pride for our heritage that we try to convey at Chabad,” says Chana Burston. “The real life energy of sharing this holiday with so many diverse communities was a powerful and memorable experience for all of us.”

For more information on Chabad of Orange County’s events, contact Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston at 782-2770, write Rabbi@ChabadOrange.com or log onto www.ChabadOrange.com.

Shacked Szuchman, 11, of Highland Mills, holds a Chabad banner as he leads his group in march at The Great Parade

Rabbi Pesach Burston, center, marches with the Chabad of Orange County group at The Great Parade in Brooklyn, where 15,000 children gathered to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Lag B’omer