Florida Rabbis Got Game

Florida Jewish Journal

Building on the success of Jewish Heritage Night at the Miami Heat basketball game last season in Miami, the Florida Panthers management contacted Rabbi Pinny Andrusier of Chabad of Southwest Broward and asked him if the Panthers could host a Jewish heritage event at Bank Atlantic Center for the Jewish community.

The celebration was coordinated by Chabad of South Florida and took place on March 6 at the National Hockey League game between the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals.

“There were 5,000 Jewish people at the Miami Heat game and it was great fun, so we decided to do a pre- Purim event at the Florida Panthers game,” Andrusier said. “The reason why we did a pre-Purim event instead of doing it on Purim was so that people would also have the opportunity to celebrate Purim in their synagogues on March 19 and 20.”

The Purim festivities included inflatable bounce houses, a giant slide and face painting prior to the game and Hamantaschen and Purim t-shirts at the game along with kosher food.

It is traditional at Purim to dress in costumes as characters from the Jewish biblical story. There were many versions of Queen Esther and her righteous uncle Mordechai at the game.

Andrusier was also allowed on ice the for a post game slap shot. And between periods there was a broom hockey competition featuring local Chabad rabbis and costumed Purim clowns.

“Chabad wanted to do a pre-Purim celebration because it is a holiday that doesn’t get as much attention as other holidays such as Hanukkah,” Andrusier said. “We want to instill Jewish pride in the community by having an event that families can share together as Jews.”

Another highlight of the festivities was the singing of “God Bless America” by 12-year-old Yisorel Amar, son of Rabbi Chay Amar and Dina Amar of Golden Beach.

Amar recently competed in New York for the title of “Jewish Star,” the Jewish version of American Idol and won the title.

“It’s my life,” said Yisorel Amar (junior winner of Season Two of A Jewish Star singing talent competition). “I plan to be a cantor and a singer and it is a real thrill to sing in the Bank Atlantic Center.”

Rabbi Meir Kessler of Chabad of Boca Raton was thrilled to be at the event. So, were his children, Nechema, 7, and Chayale, 5.

“It is wonderful to see so many Jewish people celebrating Purim at the hockey game,” Kessler said. “There is kosher food, too. God bless America.”

Leor and Gaby Skoczylas of Boca Raton and their children, David, 7, Deoronit, 5, and Morav, 2, had fun at the pre-Purim celebration.

“We are hockey fans and have been to games before, but this is a special event for our family,” said Gaby Skoczylas.

The final score was Washington Capitals 3, Florida Panthers, 2, in an overtime loss — a tough defeat for the Florida Panthers, but a success for Chabad and the Jewish community.