By Donald H. Harrison
LA MESA, California –Did you hear the one about the rabbi, the congresswoman and the mayor who walked into a shopping center during the middle of the December holiday season and lit a giant menorah fashioned from balloons?
No, it’s not a joke! It happened on Sunday, Dec. 21, the sixth night of Chanukah, when Rabbi Rafi Andrusier of Chabad of East County, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) and La Mesa Mayor Mark “Dr. A” Arapostathis took turns lighting a helper torch and then six other torches atop a 9-foot-tall balloon menorah at the Grossmont Shopping Center in this San Diego suburb.
The significance of having public officials participate, said Rabi Andrusier, is to demonstrate that “in the eyes of the nation, they recognize that we (Jews) feel gratitude to Hashem (to God,) and for the freedom of religion that we have in this country.”
As a crowd feasting on sample latkes with apple sauce watched, each of the dignitaries climbed atop a step stool and reached up high to light torches atop the unusual hannukiah fashioned by Shahar Masori of Balloon Utopia. Nearby the San Diego-based balloon company’s co-owner, Sandi Masori, twisted balloons into hats adorned with Star of David designs for the many in the crowd who wanted them.
At tables set up nearby, Chabad volunteers John and Beth SavyeSwift (who combined their surnames into one) dispensed free latkes and coffee, and volunteer Shari Cohen sold $3 Chanukah menorah kits that included small menorahs, candles, and a dreidel.
“People are very interested in getting these Chanukah menorah kits for their children and for their own households,” Cohen said. Business has been pretty brisk. People are coming by and asking questions and without hesitation they are buying our kits. We had to replenish our supply a few times.”
Adding to the ethnic flavor of the event, a four-piece band styling itself as “Gelt Trip” played Chanukah favorites, with Alex Simay on drums, Juan Gonzalez on saxophone; Mikel Mayorga, guitar, and Alan Fox on bass guitar.
After the Chanukah menorah was lit—and while many adults with their children took turns posing in front of it – Rabbi Andruiser told of the custom of giving “gelt” or money on Chanukah to children of pre-bar/ bat mitzvah age. Children under the age of 13 lined up to receive a crisp new dollar bill from the rabbi. Past the age of 13, children are considered Jewish adults.
Andrusier read a message written in 1980 by the late Chabad rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in which it was stated that Chanukah recalls a victory more than 2100 years ago by the “militarily weak but spiritually strong” Jewish people over Hellenist Greeks. The lighting of the Chanukah menorah, the rebbe added in that letter, celebrates the triumph of “freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness.”
What impact did he anticipate the Chanukah celebration would have on passersby, Andrusier was asked.
He responded: “They will look and wonder what is the message of Chanukah, and that will give the impetus to think about the meaning behind the lights and how it can apply to them in their lives.”
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World, and balloon artist Sandi Masori is his daughter. Your comments on this article may be placed in the box below or sent directly to the author at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
Love the Menorah and the hat! Congrats to Sandi.