Menorah carved from 500 pounds of ice

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DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- A Florida ice sculptor spent about 30 minutes turning a 500-pound block of ice into a 5-foot-tall menorah for a Hanukkah festival in 80-degree weather.

David Berman used a chain saw, die grinders and dish sanders to transform the ice block into the traditional candle holder Sunday so it could hold the candles for the second night of the Jewish holiday at the Deerfield Beach "Fire on Ice" Hanukkah festival hosted by the Chabad of North Broward Beaches, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Monday.

Festival organizer Rabbi Tzvi Dechter said the ice menorah was a special touch for the festival's fourth year.

"It's a unique way to remind us of the miracle of Hanukkah," said Dechter. "If [the sculpture] lasts until the end of the lighting -- that will be a miracle."

Berman estimated the sculpture would last for about 6 hours.