The “Chanukah Live” event of Chabad of the Valley in California has earned a reputation as the preeminent Chanukah event on the Jewish music calendar; and this year against all the odds facing many Covid issues, permit challenges and other difficulties, the event went ahead, with so many describing it as “the best ever”.
A program of non-stop electrifying entertainment kept the crowd enthralled throughout the evening, culminating in a Chanukah-themed fireworks spectacular that literally lit up the skies of Los Angeles. A common thread of spectators was that they had experienced something akin to a Disneyland experience, albeit filled with Jewish pride.
Families came out in large numbers and flocked to the large Encino baseball complex in the heart of the Valley.
A night of Jewish entertainment featured Israeli singing sensation Yishai Lapidot along with a whole array of up-and-coming performers including Dovid Pearlman, EZZI and Itay Benda. Lapidot captivated a crowd filled with all ages, his energetic performance kept the program going an hour over schedule, as people just did not want to leave.
Chanukah Live is produced by Jonathan Herzog and Rabbi Mayer Greene, along with the event’s behind-the-scenes technical director, Rabbi Yochanan Baitelman and Rabbi Yanky Kahn, the media liaison. Chabad of Encino’s, Rabbi Ari Herzog thanked everyone for coming out en masse, acknowledging the widespread communal support and participation in this world class event.
Chabad of the Valley’s Associate Director, Rabbi Mordechai Einbinder, thanked the dedicated staff of Chabad of the Valley for their tremendous efforts to make everything possible and also acknowledged the support of communal activist and a major advocate of Shluchim worldwide, Rabbi Mendel Duchman.
Rabbi Duchman recounted the words of Rabbi Joshua B. Gordon OBM at the very first event that he established two decades earlier, he told everyone how Rabbi Gordon’s message to us was that we need to think big.
Daniel Aharonoff, a longtime supporter of Chabad and the architect behind the remarkable impact online of Rabbi Gordon’s Torah classes was then invited to kindle the 15-foot Menorah.
Organizers also acknowledged Yochonon and Yossi Gordon who arranged logistics for Chabad’s giant Menorah to be on site for the occasion and Shaya Greene, who coordinated the vast video content throughout the night.
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Thank you again Chabad in the valley for your annual Chanukah Mesibah.
It’s our family’s “go to” every year since we moved to LA from Chicago 15 years ago.
Your firework presentation was beyond festive and spectacular.
We send u our family’s Hakoras hatov!