Hanukkah on The Green at UTC a huge hit in Sarasota

Crafts, stories, games and even hula-hoopers were all part of the inaugural Hanukkah at The Green on a picturesque Saturday afternoon at University Town Center.

Temple Emanu-El partnered with Hershorin Schiff Community Day School and UTC for the event. Besides celebrating Hanukkah, the focus of the event was a toy drive to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto counties. 

Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman from Temple Emanu-El said the event had a nice turnout. Several vendors, including Barnes & Noble and Five-0 Donuts, were among UTC merchants donating their time for the event.

"We wanted to come together to have a public Hanukkah celebration," Glickman said. "One of the commandments of Hanukkah is to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah and to spread the light, so having this outside in a public space where both Jewish people and non-Jewish can all come together and enjoy this beautiful day."

As competitive hula-hooper Claire Opal-Levine wowed the crowd with her performance, Glickman was able to smile and reflect on the day.

"We had no idea what to expect," she said. "We were wondering if people would come because we've never done this before. It's been overwhelming in a very wonderful way."