Merry Hanukkah, Happy Christmas – Australia Style
Chanukah in Cairns
Cairns, Australia
Today, the unprecedented public display of Hanukkah has become a staple of Jewish cultural and religious life, forever altering the American practice and awareness of the festival. RARA North Queensland’s menorah is one of more than 15,000 large public menorahs sponsored by Chabad in more than 100 countries around the world, including in front of landmarks such as the White House, the Eiffel Tower, and the Kremlin helping children and adults of all walks of life discover and enjoy the holiday message
Throughout North QLD, Chabad of RARA in North QLD will be presenting several Hanukkah events and celebrations. Including a big event in Townsville and smaller events in Airlie Beach, Mackay, Ingham, Bowen and Ayr
For more information about Hanukkah and a local schedule of events visit chabadnorthqueensland.com/Hanukkah.
Virtual Chanukah
In today’s Maccabean Newspaper, Perth, 22 Dec 2017
Chanukah In The Park
The lighting of the first candle was watched by students at the Atzalynas High School in Kedainiai, Lithuania. I used skype and my iPhone to stream this back live to Laima Ardaviciene and her class. This is the second year in a row we have engaged Laima and her class on Chanukah.
Viewing it all from the classroom in Kedainiai, Lithuania
I introduced my friend Heiny Ellert to the class. Heiny, 95, is a Holocaust survivor from Neishtot-Tavrig, today Žemaičių Naumiestis, in Lithuania.
See Heiny Ellert’s Testimony
Heiny Ellert’s Testimony
Heiny Ellert, a Lithuanian Holocaust survivor, tells his story to Eli Rabinowitz. Accompanying him is his wife Toby, also from Lithuania, but who escaped to …
Source: youtu.be/118HN2_NYHs
Žemaičių Naumiestis
Žemaičių Naumiestis
Žemaičių Naumiestis Town in Lithuania Žemaičių Naumiestis is a town in Klaipėda county, Šilutė district municipality. It is located in western Lithuania between Klaipėda and Kaliningrad Oblast. The…
Source: elirab.me/zemaiciu-naumiestis/
The miracle of Chanukah and the miracle of survival for Heinry Ellert!
This is a second year in a row that:
Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan
Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan
Just think of this – when was the last time Maoz Tzur was heard in Keidan, Lithuania, sung by a Jewish kid? Maybe 75 years ago! When Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno Gymnazi…
In the News
Dylan Kotkis showing the Lithuanian students around Noranda CHABAD
The Maccabean
The Australian Jewish News Melbourne
The Australian Jewish News Sydney
Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan
Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan
Just think of this – when was the last time Maoz Tzur was heard in Keidan, Lithuania, sung by a Jewish kid? Maybe 75 years ago! When Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno Gymnazi…
Maoz Tzur Sung in Perth Heard in Keidan
Just think of this – when was the last time Maoz Tzur was heard in Keidan, Lithuania, sung by a Jewish kid? Maybe 75 years ago!
When Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno Gymnazija in Kedainiai Lithunia, asked whether I could give a talk on Chanukah via Skype to her students, I would normally have sourced one of the many brilliant articles by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and shared this with them, speaking from my home.
As I only live a minute’s drive from our CHABAD Shul in Noranda, I came up with the idea of enlisting the assistance of Rabbi Shalom White and doing it at the Shul. I also asked a young and talented friend, Dylan Kotkis, to join us. Dylan has a friendly and outgoing personality together with a beautiful singing voice. He is a 15 year old student at Carmel School, Perth’s Jewish Day School.
Due to the 7 hour time difference between Perth and Kedainiai, 1pm (7pm here) was the best time for Laima and her students, so we held the meeting in the Shul’s library. A minyan was taking place in the sanctuary at the same time.
Here are some photos and video clips taken both from the Kedainiai and from the Perth ends. I synchronised and edited the videos and combined the footage taken by Laima and myself.
Rabbi White, Dylan and I spoke about the festival and Dylan took the Lithuanian students on a tour of the shul. Dylan sang Maoz Tzur for them.
Photos taken at Atzalyno Gimnazija
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Photos taken on the Perth side
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Screenshots and photos of the signs the Lithuanian students presented.
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