2008 Woodie Awards
YU Celebrates Chanukah
Singing, Dancing, Attempts at Faculty Humor, and, of course, Refreshments
Eitan Kastner
Issue date: 12/27/04 Section: News
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A formula to pique the interest of its students to partake in Chanukah festivities: some sort of music or promise of faculty embarrassment coupled with the advertisement of free food. So it came to pass that during this past Hanukah, aside from the daily jelly doughnuts and latkes sold in the cafeteria, this formula was applied repeatedly in SOY's (Student Organization of Yeshiva) "Eight Crazy Nights."
Many students showed up on the unseasonably warm, first night of Chanukah for a Kumzits and free Dougies in the Morg lounge. An early gorging of the famous Dougies Buffalo Wings by those that were punctual left little or none for latecomers, so the music of Yacov Young, who led the intimate Kumzits with slower, Carlebach type singing, was the only treat left for those who stayed.
The second night was jam-packed with Chanukah celebration. First off, a chagigah with the music of Lipa Schmeltzer, with the Neginah band backing him up, was conducted in the cleared out Main Beit Midrash. Although it started slowly, after forty-five minutes, the dancing circles were three rings deep and their circumference took up most of the room. Rabbis, faculty, and students took part in the spirited festivities. The program was followed by free falafel and jelly doughnuts, which were readily devoured by the many dancers.
Following the fencing match and the chagigah was the WYUR's Celebrity Dreidel tournament. Although advertised throughout the school, the gathering consisted solely of members of the WYUR staff. Diet sodas and Hanukah gelt were distributed to participants
The third night was the main event of SOY's "Eight Crazy Nights." The Yeshiva University Hanukah Concert, which had an assortment of some of the most popular names on the Orthodox Jewish music scene, was held in a nearly packed Lamport auditorium in Zysman Hall. Mixed and single sex areas of the auditorium were designated to accommodate the diverse audience.
The event, which was sponsored for the fifth year in a row by J&R Music World, was opened with fake fog and flashing lights by Yeshiva's own Battle of the Bands winner, Omek Hadavar. They were followed by Dovid Gabay, Yacov Young, Srully Williger, a surprise appearance by two members of Soulfarm, Shlomo Simcha, and Yacov Shwekey, who was filling in for the ill Abie Rotenberg, the scheduled main attraction.
Many students showed up on the unseasonably warm, first night of Chanukah for a Kumzits and free Dougies in the Morg lounge. An early gorging of the famous Dougies Buffalo Wings by those that were punctual left little or none for latecomers, so the music of Yacov Young, who led the intimate Kumzits with slower, Carlebach type singing, was the only treat left for those who stayed.
The second night was jam-packed with Chanukah celebration. First off, a chagigah with the music of Lipa Schmeltzer, with the Neginah band backing him up, was conducted in the cleared out Main Beit Midrash. Although it started slowly, after forty-five minutes, the dancing circles were three rings deep and their circumference took up most of the room. Rabbis, faculty, and students took part in the spirited festivities. The program was followed by free falafel and jelly doughnuts, which were readily devoured by the many dancers.
Following the fencing match and the chagigah was the WYUR's Celebrity Dreidel tournament. Although advertised throughout the school, the gathering consisted solely of members of the WYUR staff. Diet sodas and Hanukah gelt were distributed to participants
The third night was the main event of SOY's "Eight Crazy Nights." The Yeshiva University Hanukah Concert, which had an assortment of some of the most popular names on the Orthodox Jewish music scene, was held in a nearly packed Lamport auditorium in Zysman Hall. Mixed and single sex areas of the auditorium were designated to accommodate the diverse audience.
The event, which was sponsored for the fifth year in a row by J&R Music World, was opened with fake fog and flashing lights by Yeshiva's own Battle of the Bands winner, Omek Hadavar. They were followed by Dovid Gabay, Yacov Young, Srully Williger, a surprise appearance by two members of Soulfarm, Shlomo Simcha, and Yacov Shwekey, who was filling in for the ill Abie Rotenberg, the scheduled main attraction.