HANUKAH CELEBRATION, STATEN ISLAND MALL, DECEMBER 4, 2002

The lower level of the Staten Island Mall was full of singing and smiles as Staten Island's Jewish community gathered last night for the annual Community Hanukah Candle-Lighting Ceremony, on the fourth night of Hanukah. 

The ceremony, which is organized by the Council of Jewish organizations (COJO), drew crowd of observers, some who came early to participate in the festivities, others who stopped briefly to see what all the commotion in front of Macy's was about.

In each corner, groups of Jewish students from various organizations crowded together for some last-minute rehearsing.

Participating in the celebration were Rabbi Shmuel Linkovsky, Congregation Bnai Israel; Rabbi Saul Eisner, COJO president; Rabbi Moshe Katzman of the JCC's Beit Hasimcah Nursery School, and Congregation Aviv Hadash

Lighting the Menorah: Justin Botsman (left) Rabbi Shmuel Linkovsky (middle) Rabbi Moshe Katzman (right)