Hundreds celebrated Hanukkah at the Long Beach Ice Arena

Kennedy Plaza was alive with colorful lights and festive music as city officials and members of local synagogues celebrated the beginning of Hanukkah on Dec. 7.

Rabbis Eli Goodman, of Chabad of the Beaches, and Jack Zanerhaft, of Temple Emanu-El, led the festivities, and Goodman climbed up in the Long Beach Fire Department’s cherry picker to light the first menorah candle and toss chocolate coins to the children in the crowd below.

“It was amazing,” Goodman said. “It was a very, very positive atmosphere, despite everything going on in the world. People came out in a big way, and I think everybody gains strength from each other.”

Despite wintry temperatures, hundreds of people gathered in the plaza to celebrate, joining in song, prayer and laughs.

“It was very good, and it was very well attended,” Zanerhaft said. “We had lots of support from our elected officials and various local dignitaries.”

Temple Emanu-El and its congregants had their own celebration beforehand, as did many other houses of worship, including Chabad of the Beaches. Temple Emanu-El hosted an annual party, welcoming members before they all walked to the plaza.

“It was very poignant, given the story of Hanukkah and what’s going on in Israel today,” Zanerhaft said. “Everyone really had a lot of energy, and this really sent, I think, an important message. I was really proud that our city, knowing who we are, is supportive of one another regardless of our faith, regardless of our differences. We all come together, and it was really a very touching moment.”

The celebrations didn’t end on the first night of the Festival of Lights.

At the Chabad of the Beaches’ 10th annual Chanukah on Ice celebration at the Long Beach Ice Arena last Sunday — the fourth of Hanukkah’s eight nights — participants sculpted an ice menorah, decorated doughnuts and ate hot latkes, while skaters took to the ice.

Hundreds of people took part in each of two sessions of the celebration — over 500 in all, from Oceanside and the Five Towns as well as Long Beach. The Chabad of the Five Towns and the Chabad of Oceanside collaborated with the Chabad of the Beaches to host it.

“It was a great event,” Goodman said. “We carved a menorah out of ice and we lit it at center ice. We had Hanukkah music, programs and face painting. It’s just a good, fun family event.”

Long Beach resident Marc Weiss served up crispy pan-fried latkes with applesauce and drizzled them with sour cream. Weiss is a professional cook, and is more widely known by his other name, DJ Chef.

“This was the second year I did the Chanukah on Ice with them,” Weiss said. “We had the music going, and I brought my daughter with me. A lot of these public events, they offer some training for her as the sous chef — she likes to help. They had the face painting there, so I turned around and she was a cat. It’s just a fun way to celebrate the holidays and get the family involved.”

The celebrations capped an eventful — and stressful — year for Chabad of the Beaches. The Village of Atlantic Beach recently agreed to pay the Chabad $400,000 over four years to settle a 2022 federal lawsuit.

The Chabad, a Long Beach-based organization that also has members in Atlantic Beach and Lido Beach, bought the property at 2025 Park St. in Atlantic Beach, near Village Hall, in November 2021 for $950,000, planning to build a community center for Jewish programming, education and a place of worship. Only weeks later, the village announced plans to take over the property through eminent domain proceedings.

The Chabad sued, and as part of the settlement, the village dropped its plans to take over the property.