General Information

The Friendship Circle of Chabad of South Broward is preparing the 38th Annual South Florida Chanukah Festival Featuring Benny Friedman & 8th Day at Gulfstream Park & Casino. Sponsored by Kosher Central, Hallandale Beach, Gulfstream Park & Casino & Sunny.org( https://www.facebook.com/visitlauderdale)

by Reuven Arazi CHANUKAH MARKS BIRTHDAY OF CHABAD IN BROWARD COUNTY...ENTERING 38th YEAR

The 38th Annual South Florida Chassidic Chanukah Festival is getting bigger and better. Considering that over 10,000 people have participated each year since the event was moved to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach back in 2007, the staff and volunteers preparing the upcoming Festival set for Monday, December 18th, 7PM, have coordinated a star studded program that will guarantee the biggest attendance ever. The crowd will be even bigger than last year, as tens of thousands of tourists, in love with Jewish Music, are expected that week in South Florida. 

 

Benny Friedman was born in Minneapolis, MN, into a family of Chabad Shluchim. Benny’s musical career began at age thirteen when he began performing at small local events and audiences were mesmerized by his dazzling voice. Passionate about both singing and the ability to inspire people through music, Benny spent four years working with elite Hollywood vocal coach Seth Riggs and Jewish music lovers everywhere began to buzz about the talented newcomer with the golden voice.

Benny split his time between recording his debut album “Taamu” and making appearances all over the country. One of the most highly anticipated debut albums in Jewish music history, Taamu was hailed as both the best debut album ever produced and 2009’s album of the year, firmly cementing Benny’s place as one of Jewish music’s elite. Demand for the talented singer skyrocketed as Benny performed at dinners, weddings and other events worldwide.

Benny’s second studio album, “Yesh Tikvah” was released and quickly became the hottest Chassidic album in the world and one of the top selling CD’s of the last decade. Yesh Tikvah’s music video on YouTube records over 4 million views. Benny released a Shabbos collection album in 2013 to the delight of fans, called “Bnei Heichala – Children of the Palace,” which has become common place on radio stations Erev Shabbos playlists around the world.

Benny’s third CD titled “Kol Haneshama Sheli” set new sales records, with hit’s like “Toda!”, “Bum Bum”, and “Fulfill Your Teffilah.” Benny has just released his 4th studio album, “Fill The World With Light”, which hit stores December 2016.

Benny lives with his wife and children in Brooklyn, NY.

 

8th Day, which was co-founded by brothers Shmuel and Bentzi Marcus, is one of Jewish Music’s hottest acts. The group has released four studio albums that get air play regularly on the radio in New York and Israel. They have played hundreds of sold out concerts across the globe, touring in places like Australia, Spain, Israel, Hong Kong, and all over the United States. 8th Day’s fresh and unique sound is complimented by their catchy lyrics (mostly English with some Hebrew and Yiddish mixed in) and their spirited vocal harmonies. Their hit song ”Ya’alili” took the world by storm in 2011 and is still one of the most popular songs in Jewish music today. Their most recent album “All You Got”, was released in June of 2012, and has been critically acclaimed worldwide. It is one of the top selling albums of Jewish music in 2012. Fans and critics alike continue to be enthralled with the creativity and innovation of this one-of-a-kind music group.

The Festival takes place in Hallandale Beach, at Gulfstream Park at the corner of US1 and Hallandale Beach Blvd. The event is annually produced and directed by Chabad of South Broward, leaders in Jewish Education, social services and community outreach.
The last few years, the Chanukah Festival was seen live around the world via Jewish TV @ Chabad.org. It was the most watched Live Jewish TV Show. People from across the globe, from the Ukraine to Israel, from South America to Australia, were fixed to their screens for the three hour Chanukah production that warmed so many hearts and inspired so many souls.

The Festival will honor the Friendship Circle, a program with some 100 branches worldwide, that caters to children with special needs, who are teamed up with local teenagers. These teenagers serve as volunteers and friends of these children with special needs.

Other Festival highlights include the lighting of Florida's Largest Menorah, led by Cantor Rabbi Yossi Lebovics and a large lineup of Community Leaders and Dignitaries, free Chanukah gelt and goodies for the thousands of children in attendance, a delicious dinner (for a nominal fee), and scores of valuable prizes.

Rabbi Levi Tennenhaus, the events' coordinator and Chabads' Program Director, encourages those who can afford to get reserved seating: "The event, as always, is free. However, in addition to our major sponsors, individuals are entitled to reserve VIP seats for $100 per seat. This will help both the Festival, which runs at an enormous cost as a service to the community, and individuals who want the luxury and convenience to sit up front with their seats reserved exclusively for them and their families.''

Chanukah marks the birthday of Chabad of South Broward. The first Chabad Center in Broward County, Chabad of South Broward now runs from their Headquarters in Hallandale Beach over forty-five programs and agencies,, including Project PRIDE, a non-sectarian drug prevention and education program, The Friendship Circle, an incredible interactive program for children and teenagers with special needs, the Chaya Aydel Seminary, Florida's only Teachers Seminary for Women, the fast expanding CHAI TOTS Preschool and Hebrew School, Bar and Bat Mitzvah Clubs, CTEEN Club, 3 Mikvahs accessible to the physically challenged, Camp Gan Israel, Kollel for Businessmen and Professionals, and 15 Synagogues. Chabad of South Broward is headed by Rabbi Raphael and Goldie Tennenhaus, who came to Broward County, as Shluchim (emissaries) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M Schneerson (1902-1994) in December 1980. Log on to Chabadsouthbroward.com for to see the scope of Chabad's wide range of programs.

For more festival information, and to reserve VIP and box seats, please call 954-458-1877 or email levi@chanukahfestival.com, or log on to Chanukahfestival.com .