2nd Hanukkah Festival Brings Out Thousands

While most stores in America are playing “Jingle Bells” and nearly everyone is consumed with Christmas, a group of Jewish organizations in the Conejo Valley threw a Hanukkah festival Sunday to celebrate the eight-day religious holiday that begins Tuesday night.

“It’s kind of hard at Christmastime,” said Michael Krevitt of Westlake, who came to the second annual Conejo Valley Community Hanukkah Festival with his 6-year-old son, Zak. “It’s nice that there is this big festival so that Jewish kids can participate in something fun this time of year too.”

About 50 vendors and thousands of visitors attended this year’s event at the Thousand Oaks Community Center, where they enjoyed Israeli dancing, Hebrew singing, Jewish storytelling and kosher food, said festival spokesman Kenny Ellis.

Last year, about 5,000 people attended the Hanukkah celebration. Again, the holiday event was sponsored by Temple Adat Elohim, Temple Etz Chaim, Temple Beth Haverim, Chabad of Conejo, the Jewish War Veterans, Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School West and the Jewish Community of the Conejo Valley for Early Childhood and Family Education.

The idea for such a community holiday party was born some years back by several temple presidents.

“Our goal is to promote a sense of pride in Jewish culture and identity,” said Judy Gindi, a festival volunteer. She added that another special aspect of the event was that it represents all three denominations of Judaism--Reform, Conservative and Orthodox--groups that don’t always interpret or practice religion in the same way.

While passing out menorahs and teaching passersby how to bless the Hanukkah candles, Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Levine said the festival is a great way to get the word out about Judaism.

“Our main motive is to connect with the Jewish neshamah, the Jewish soul,” he said. “And just look around at all these people, you can just see how vibrant the Jewish community is. When there is something fun and Jewish going on, people come out.”

Zak Krevitt, a first-grader at Westlake Elementary School, was happy his father brought him to the celebration.

“You know what’s making the kids so happy?” he asked as he displayed glittery dreidels [a spinning top] and other Jewish artwork that he made at one of the many crafts booths. “That we get to make so much stuff. . . . I think I’ll decorate my house with it.”