By Cailin Acosta
CHULA VISTA, California – The furry friends at Sesame Place in Chula Vista celebrated Chanukah as part of its “A Very Furry Christmas Celebration” Program. The park increased its hours to be open during the week starting at noon until 6 p.m. with a full schedule of shows and events.
I felt my family was walking down Sesame Street in New York City by passing Mr. Hopper’s Market and Oscar the Grouch’s trash can and the iconic steps to Ernie and Burt’s house. I grew up watching Sesame Street and still love the adorable characters. My 12-year-old twins liked Sesame Street, but it wasn’t a favorite show.
After the kids took some rides, we made it to the Menorah Candle Lighting Ceremony with Elmo at Big Bird’s Wave Pool Lawn. Courtney Adams, Assistant Supervisor of Talent Operations, sang the brachot and since Oscar the Grouch was not invited to the lighting, he unplugged the menorah. A quick fix from the crew, the menorah was lit for the sixth night celebration.
Following the lighting, Adams and Elmo engaged the children to dance the hora with Elmo and sing Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel among other songs as a Chanukah dance party. My twins were good sports and danced with their “nerdy” Mom and got some hugs from furry Elmo who was wearing a blue Chanukah scarf.
After the Menorah Lighting, Elmo and Adams invited attendees to join him in a game of dreidel in Abby’s Garden and Adams said they would have gelt for everyone. We eagerly made our way to Abby’s Garden to test our super dreidel gambling/playing skills.
Adams explained how to play dreidel and gave everyone five pieces of chocolate gelt and each group of children dreidels to spin and play. Some of the young ones went ahead and ate their gelt while some older children tested their skills. Elmo and Adams supervised and then Elmo posed for pictures with families.
I got a chance to talk to Adams who told me she celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Reform synagogue Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, California in 2001. She moved to San Diego in 2020 and after a few occupational changes, she landed a position at Sesame Place in 2021. When she started her position, she went in one day to her supervisor’s office and requested to be part of the Chanukah celebrations.
In past years, Rabbi Daniel Reich of Congregation Adat Yeshurun led the menorah lighting, but this year Adams took charge of the brachot and “all things Chanukah.” This is also the first year Sesame Place has incorporated Kwanzaa in the holiday events. Adams was so jazzed how all these holidays happened to be aligned at the same time.
Adams told me that one of her favorite Chanukah memories was when it landed in November. It was fun to get all the gifts she asked for and brag to her non-Jewish friends that they must wait to get their gifts on December 25. She also liked explaining how Jews follow the lunar calendar and not the Gregorian. She explained to her friends that is why the secular dates of Chanukah always change.
Adams enjoyed watching Shalom Sesame as a kid and her favorite character was Moishe, the Jewish version of Oscar the Grouch. My twins enjoyed watching Shalom Sesame when I could find the DVDs at the library, and they liked watching Elmo celebrate the Jewish holidays.
When asked how she prefers her latkes, Adams said “hands down” applesauce. But if they happen to mix the French onion soup mix into the sour cream to create an onion dip, then she will gladly take a dollop of that on top. But if it is just plain sour cream then she will pass it by. I had never had onion soup offered at a Chanukah party, but I will give this a try since it does sound like it would be very good.
While my twins were looking for souvenirs, Chanukah music was playing in Abby’s Garden, so it made for a happy festive afternoon celebrating the sixth night with our childhood furry friends.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.
Wow, it should be advertised more widely that Chula Vista has that. I wonder if all the Jewish preschools know about it.