As the Brooklyn Nets gear up for their third season in their new home at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Chabad’s global Teen Network—CTeen—has another exciting Jewish Heritage Night in the works.
This year’s event will take place on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 5:30 p.m., on the sixth night of Chanukah and the first day of winter. Building on the incredible turnout of last year’s Jewish Heritage debut at the Barclays Center, organizers expect more than 6,000 Jewish attendees out of a total capacity of about 20,000 spectators.
Highlights of the family-oriented program include a menorah-lighting ceremony with perhaps the world’s only giant-sized orange basketball menorah; a halftime Rabbis vs. Teens basketball game; and a national anthem performance by Chassidic Cantor Yaakov “Yanky” Lemmer, the cantor at Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York City, and an international singer and concert artist, born and raised in Brooklyn.
Teens from CTeen’s 36 tri-state chapters will also help with ball delivery, serve as pre-game national anthem buddies and star in the halftime game. And kosher food will be available during the game.
David Futoran, 17, from Long Island, N.Y., sees the tremendous opportunity inherent in the event.
“Jewish Heritage Night provides a great way for Jews to make it known that they are not embarrassed of who they are, and that their presence is still existent and strong,” he says. “Modern values are just that—modern. They come and go with time. Jews, however, have been around since the beginning of time and are here to stay.
“It means a lot to me and my friends to be able to go to an NBA game and portray, ‘I am a Jew, and I am proud,’ ” he continues. “Making such a statement is the only way to expand our acceptance. This basketball game is an opportunity … an opportunity to embrace Judaism and to look the public in the eye and say, ‘Judaism is where it’s at.’ ”
“By lighting a menorah at the Barclays, the timeless message of Chanukah reaches 20,000 people,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302.
For CTeen, it’s not just about where to light the menorah, but a matter of timing.
“This year, the publicity of Chanukah will be taken to new heights with the menorah-lighting scheduled to take place between the first and second quarters of the game, when crowd attendance is at the max,” explains CTeen director Rabbi Shimon Rivkin.
Rabbi Shimon Hecht, senior Chabad representative to the local community, adds that “an event like this is significant to the Jewish community. It is emblematic of our mission as Jews to bring the light of Torah and mitzvot to public places.”
Along those same lines, it shows children—the Jewish future—what’s important.
“It really doesn’t matter what team you’re rooting for,” says 15-year-old Mike Goldberg, from Marlboro, N.J. “The ultimate score is bringing Jewish teens together to have a good time, while giving back to the community. This is what CTeen is all about.”
To purchase tickets or to sponsor the event, call 718-467-4400, Ext. 340, or visit www.barclaysjewishheritage.com.
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