Children aged toddlers to teens and parents and grandparents made up the joyous overflow crowd at Congregation Tifereth Israel's Hanukkah celebration on Sunday.

International singer/entertainer Noah Aronson was the group's spirited Pied Piper, leading song after song, some in English, some in Hebrew, some in a combination of the two languages. Given the holiday, two of the songs that drew the most excited response from the young audience were "Lots of Latkes" and "How Many Candles?"

Helpful song sheets were offered and the lyrics also were displayed on a screen placed near the singers and musicians. Some may have stumbled a bit with the Hebrew words but there sure wasn't a language barrier when it came to spontaneous hand clapping, dancing and arms raised high in a show of great strength, "just like the Maaccabee soldiers" of ancient Israel.

Joining in the fun were CTI's leaders, Rabbi Irwin Huberman and Cantor Gustavo Gitlin. The rabbi told the youngsters that this celebration marked an event more than 2,200 years ago when one day's worth of oil miraculously provided eight days of light. To commemorate this, the Hanukkah holiday is always marked with foods fried in oil and songs that recount the miracle of light.

Hanukkah began the night of Dec. 1 and continues through Dec. 9. The eighth and last candle will be lit the night of Dec. 8.