Hundreds gather at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch for Hanukkah celebration.
By
Pam Eubanks
| 6:45 p.m. December 12, 2017
East County
Neighbors
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Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch volunteer Yoav Cohen stood in front of a fryer with a basket of freshly made, perfectly round falafels ready for cooking.
“That’s where the magic happens,” Cohen said, smiling, as he dipped the new batch of falafels into hot oil Dec. 12. “Falafels are the Israeli hot dog. In Israel, there are always falafel stands. They even made a song about them.”
And they might just be his favorite thing to eat.
“I can’t stopped eating them,” he said, laughing.
Cohen joined hundreds of Chabad members and visitors at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch for Chabad’s annual Hanukkah celebration and menorah lighting ceremony. Guests enjoyed Israeli food — falafels and latkes and other items — as well as Hanukkah themed crafts, a visit from Judah the Maccabee, songs and a menorah lighting ceremony that benefited Israeli charities.
Lakewood Ranch's Alan Lopez Markov, 5, makes a menorah out of wood and bullet shell casings.
Larry and Jan Levin, of River Club eat latkes. "It's fun being here," Jan Levin says.
Volunteer Yardena Cohen serves up falafels to the crowd.
Yoav Cohen prepares falafels, made of ground chickpeas and spices.
Parrish's Zachary Korman, 14, and Daniel Braunstein, a student at Braden River High, dress as a dreidel and Judah the Maccabee and are ready to pose for pictures with attendees.
Lakewood Ranch residents Bernice Borow, Claudia Dombrow, Shelly Scher, Harriet Reiter and Judy Lazaroff are all smiles as they chat.
Six-year-old Connor Van Calligan, of Lakewood Ranch, decorates a doughnut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.
Esplanade's Shoshana and Aaron Marcus make sure to say "hi" to Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch's Rabbi Mendy Bukiet.
Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch Rabbi Mendy Bukiet welcomes guests before launching into song.
Rachel Taylor, 5, gets a birds-eye view from the shoulders of her father, Jacob.
Ruthy and Ron Hyatt, of University Park, have attended Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch since its beginning more than a decade ago.
Shosh Nadel and Gaya Nadel, of Sarasota, and Eti Farber, of Siesta Key, enjoy the festivities.
Orit Cohen sings and dances to a song about peace.
Willis Elementary School's Rachel Gocinski, 8, makes a donation to The Lone Soldier's Home Away from Home charity in Israel.
