Palm Coast celebrates Hanukkah with eighth annual Grand Menorah Lighting ceremony

Rabbi Levi Ezagui urged the Jewish community in Palm Coast to celebrate the holiday on behalf of those in the Middle East who could not this year. 'You need to be their light,' he said.

By Sierra Williams
| 11:45 p.m. December 11, 2023

Chabad Jewish Center office manager Lisa Laubenstein mans a Chanukah table with merchandise from the Jewish Center's pop-up shop. Photo by Sierra Williams

Val Krayter, who owns Palm Coast Pharmacy, lights the five candles signaling the fifth day of Chanukah. Photo by Sierra Williams

International singer Shuky Sadon performed with Israeli musician David Twito at the festival. Photo by Sierra Williams

Val Krayter, who owns Palm Coast Pharmacy, lights the five candles signaling the fifth day of Chanukah. Mayor David Alfin was asked to light the center candle. Photo by Sierra Williams

Greg Klabunde passes a balloon to Beckham Davis, 5. Photo by Sierra Williams

The Davis family attended the festival decked out in their Chanukah best: Beckham, 5, with his parents Michael and Jacqueline. Photo by Sierra Williams

Students in the Chabad Jewish Center's Hebrew school sang different songs to open the Grand Menorah Lighting ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams

Robin Bryan paints a menorah on Kiya Morreale's arm. Photo by Sierra Williams

The Chabad Jewish Center's dreidel mascot spins in circles alongside Eva Lieberman and Batsheva Ezagui, also dressed as dreidels. Photo by Sierra Williams

Rimma Mogilevsky dances after the ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams

The Chabad Jewish Center's dreidel mascot. Photo by Sierra Williams

Mayor David Alfin and FCSO volunteer Manny Confusione. Photo by Sierra Williams

Rabbi Levi Ezagui from the Chabad Jewish Center in Palm Coast at the Chanukah Festival in European Village. Photo by Sierra Williams

FCSO Sheriff Rick Staly, Rabbi Levi Ezagui and Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin at the Grand Menorah lighting ceremony. Photo by Sierra Williams

A train from Jumpin' Games Party Rentals was at the festival to take kids around the square. Photo by Sierra Williams

The festival held a petting zoo with chickens, rabbits, a goat and a calf. Photo by Sierra Williams

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

The Jewish community of Palm Coast rang in the fifth night of Hanukkah with Chabad of Palm Coast’s annual Chanukah Jewish Festival and Concert.

The celebration took place at European Village on Dec. 11 and featured music from the international singer Shuky Sadon and Israeli musician David Twito, plus a petting zoo, latkes and the Grand Menorah Lighting ceremony. Hanukkah this year began on Dec. 7 and runs through Dec. 15

Chabad of Palm Coast Rabbi Levi Ezagui congratulated the Jewish community for continuing to serve their faith openly, in spite of the latest war between Israel and Hamas, and, he said, the voices opposing Israel across the world on social media.

“There is every reason in the world why the small nation of ... Israel should cower in fear, should crumble in fright, should run and hide,” he said. “But no, that is not what is happening here tonight.”

Hanukkah is the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin lit the center candle of the menorah while Val Krayter — owner of Palm Coast Pharmacy, which sponsored the festival — lit another five candles.

Sheriff Rick Staly was invited to light the torch used to light the menorah. Staly referenced recent acts of antisemitic vandalism committed in Flagler Beach and said he is committed to making Flagler County a place safe for everyone.

“Ultimately, this war has carried over to our great state and nation, bringing in an unwanted wave of antisemitic hate and anger,” Staly said. “I promise you that your Sheriff’s Office and I will not stand for hate against anyone. We will stand with you. We stand with Israel.”

Alfin said it is easy to see the story of Hanukkah reflected in the world today, and to see the Jewish people as “fighting for self-determination, as people who just want to live according to their own faith.”

“Tonight and every night, we are committed to supporting our Chabad of Palm Coast,” Alfin said.

Ezagui asked those in attendance to consider those in Israel and the hostages taken from Israel as they light their own menorahs at home.

“You need to be their light,” he said. Ezagui said that just by showing up, the community shows pride and courage in its faith.

“Our Jewish community here at Palm Coast does not cower in fear, does not crumble in fright,” Ezagui said. “We do not hide. We do not run away.”

author

Sierra Williams

Sierra Williams is a staff writer for the Palm Coast Observer covering a variety of topics, including government and crime. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2021 with her bachelor's degree in print/digital journalism and a minor in political science. Sierra moved to Palm Coast in September 2022 and is a Florida native from Brevard County.