During a Chabad Chanukah party in the park in Paraguay, dozens of Jews showed up. I really enjoyed watching all the children play on the playground, especially these two boys who showed their good middos by playing with a little boy much younger than them.
Paraguay is a little, landlocked country in south-central South America, just above Argentina and hemmed in by Brazil and Bolivia. In 2007, while I was living in Argentina, I packed a small bag and spontaneously flew there, without plans as to what to eat, where to sleep, or how I would celebrate the holiday. Holiday?! Yes, Chanukah! It was December and I went to Paraguay during Chanukah.
Fortunately, as soon as I arrived, I gave the Chabad rabbi a call. After taking a taxi to the Chabad, we all piled into his car and drove to a nearby park, usually driving on the wrong side of the road and just barely avoiding head-on collisions with the oncoming traffic. The rabbi told me they were going to be having a Chanukah party in the park.
When we arrived, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A larger-than-life Chanukah menorah towered above us. I don’t think I’ve ever see one so big before! And I certainly wouldn’t have expected to see it in a park in Asunción, Paraguay!
More and more members of the community began to arrive. The children played on the playground while teenage girls blew up balloons for them. The adults stood around, chatting. Then, the sun began to set. The men quickly formed a minyan and began to pray. When they were done, it was showtime!
The menorah was so enormous that the rabbi had hired a cherry-picker truck to come lift people to the top to light it! I was amazed. It was incredible to celebrate the miracles of Chanukah by lighting the largest menorah I’ve ever seen, with many other Jews, in the center of a small country in South America.
At a Chanukah party in the park in Asuncion, Paraguay, the Chabad rabbi even let me ride up in the cherry-picker to light the menorah!
The next night, the party in the park continued. Once again the children came out to play, the adults came out to chat, and the cherry-picker arrived for the menorah lighting. This time, the rabbi even let me ride up and light the menorah! I will never forget how excited I was to perform this beautiful mitzvah, or how beautiful the city of Asunción looked from up so high.
When I descended to the ground again, the surprises weren’t over. The Chabad house had cooked up a huge batch of homemade sufganiot (jelly donuts) to celebrate the miracle of the oil! I must have eaten two or three – they were so good – and still there were many left after the party.
That Chanukah I spent in Paraguay will always be in my mind as one of my favorite celebrations of Chanukah. It just goes to show that no matter where we live, we are still Jews and we still cling to our traditions, our beliefs, and our way of life.
Chanukah sameach!
