chanukah celebration

Lining the Jerusalem streets on חנוכה. no matter how you spell it, are the Hanukka or Chanukah lights, as we shared last week,

This week’s post is again about lights, the Hanukiot, or Chanukah menorahs as we called the 8-branch candelabras in the United States, whether for candles or olive oil.

There is an electric hanukiah outside Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s Residence, again this year.

Off Jerusalem hotel lobbies, there are hanukiot, ornate silver ones, and smaller ones for guests to light each night of Chanuka.

The Begin Center lobby also had a large hanukiah, with sufganiyot, donuts, nearby ready for the second night of Hanuka.

The Jerusalem Cinema City had a large Chabad menorah lit for the fifth night, it seems hundreds of their hanukiot fill the Jerusalem street corners.

The large one in Mamilla Mall is back with music and a special lighting ceremony each night. I hope to get there for the eighth-night celebrations.

If you eat in a Jerusalem restaurant, your meal may be delivered to the table only after the candles are lit, and restaurant patrons join in singing along with the staff who light the hanukiah.

But this year I was also in Tel Aviv and saw other hanukiot.

On the bus to the new ANU Museum of the Jewish People, I was impressed by this large billboard with a colorful menorah, selling toothpaste.

In the museum, were many hanukiot with interesting designs and stories.

The Statute of Liberty branches has an eagle on top.

Also, an eagle is on top of this 18th-century brass menorah originally in the Great Synagogue on Tlomackie Street, in Warsaw, Poland. The Polish symbol of the eagle was often placed on Judaica as a sign of gratitude and allegiance to the regime of the time.

In 1939, the rabbi and secretary of the synagogue buried the two hanukiot in a secret hiding place. After, they offered to sell the synagogue valuables to raise money for Polish citizens to be saved from the Nazis. Marguerite Wenner Gren of Stockholm bought the menorah for a large sum of money and later donated it to the state of Israel.

The synagogue built in 1878, was destroyed by the Nazis in 1943.

In the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, there is a replica of Shimon Peres’ office, in the display case along with the Nobel Peace Prize medal and soccer ball stands a silver hanukiah.

Being honored to light the Chanuka candles on the second night was a special moment for a Ukrainian mother and her son who found refuge in Israel.

Chabad was at the i24News studio on the fourth night to light the flames with Nitzan Chen, the head of the Government Press Office.

Chabad had more donuts and hanukiot to give away to those of us on the tour who wanted.

Besides the hanukiot and lights, sufganiyot have been seen in abundance – almost everywhere.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the dessert display was hard to resist.

It was a full and busy week, with highlights I plan to share in the future.

However, finally, I made it home for candle lighting before Shabbat.

The lights shine out to the Jerusalem streets to share the miracle of Chanuka.

Again this year in Jerusalem, my mother lit the large silver menorah that my father bought many years ago. Yesterday, their neighbor in Virginia mentioned to me how he remembers the light from their menorah lit in the window when they lived across the street – almost 20 years ago.

Happy Hanukkah! חנוכה שמח

May the Hanukkah lights shine brightly.

Near and far, no matter where you are, Chanukah Sameach, Chag Urim Sameach from Jerusalem, Israel. May you see the lights, and have a great year in good health.