Great Neck residents of all ages turned out for the menorah lighting at Great Neck Village Green on Thursday, Dec. 29. Among the dozens of attendees was the Silverstein Hebrew Academy children’s choir, who treated the crowd to festive renditions of traditional and contemporary Hanukkah songs. The first candle on the menorah was lit by Park District Commisioner Frank Cilluffo. Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos and Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth were also in attendance and each had the honor of lighting a candle. Bosworth thanked the fourth-grade students for their performance and alluded to the rain, which had been a concern for part of the day but subsided by the start of the event.
“The stars came out and we’re here to celebrate together,” said Bosworth. “Hopefully we’ll celebrate for many years to come, right here with our wonderful rabbi and the Chabad from Great Neck.”
Attendees each received their own miniature candle and enjoyed hot chocolate and desserts. One of the evening’s highlights came when Mr. Dreidel tossed chocolate coins into the crowd from a cherry picker, much to the delight of the children. After the menorah was fully lit, the evening concluded with a final round of songs. The event was the second in a pair of Great Neck menorah lightings, the first of which was held on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at the LIRR station.
