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back to Carimi: : )- and anyone looking for an autograph

New Chicago Bear to help kick off Jewish Family Fest Sunday

By Brian L. Cox Special to the Tribune

It shouldn’t be hard to spot the man leading the Jewish Unity Parade in Skokie on Sunday.

Gabe Carimi, the 6-foot-7-inch, 327-pound offensive tackle recently drafted by the Chicago Bears, will be making one of his first public appearances in the Chicago area as the leader of the parade on Sunday at the Westfield Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie.
“We got in touch with his agent and we said, ‘Hey, there’s this great Jewish festival coming up with a parade. How about joining?’” said Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz, regional director with the Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois.

“They were all excited about it,” Moscowitz continued. “He’s going to be leading the parade with a float welcoming him to Chicago. He’s going to be meeting with people after the parade. It’s going to be a great fun event.”

The parade kicks off the Great Jewish Family Festival, which commemorates Lag B’Omer, a Jewish holiday carrying the themes of Jewish unity and education, Moscowitz said. He said Sunday festivities include the parade, circus, carnival and concerts and ends with the lighting of an 8-foot bonfire. All events are held on the grounds of the Westfield Old Orchard shopping center at Skokie Boulevard and Old Orchard Road.

“It’s the only Jewish parade that takes place in the Chicago area,” Moscowitz said. “It’s an opportunity for people to come out and have a fun day, celebrate and be proud. Kids and families young and old, everyone comes. It’s a wonderful event. … It’s a day of joy.”
Carimi, a first-round draft pick for the Bears, won the 2010 Outland Trophy and was a unanimous selection for the Consensus All-American, and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, can be seen in a YouTube clip inviting people to the Skokie festival.
“I’m very excited to join the Chicago Bears this fall,” the Cottage Grove, Wis., native says in the video. “Please come join me at the great Jewish festival on May 22 at Old Orchard in Skokie. I’ll be leading the parade and I’m sure you’ll have a great time.”

Moscowitz said organizers expect around 5,000 people to attend the day’s events. While the parade is free, tickets for the festival are $18 at the door or $12 in advance. Advance tickets, and more information, are available on the website JewishFamilyFest.com.