Amid rising anti-Semitism, Chabad will reach 8 million Jews through the eight days
From New Zealand and India to Jerusalem and London, as the first lights of Chanukah begin to shine around the world, Chabad-Lubavitch centers are seeing a groundswell of Jewish pride in response to growing anti-Semitism, with record crowds turning out at the lightings of many of the 15,000 public menorahs that will be erected in virtually every place in the world where Jewish people live.
In State College, Pa., Wendy Share said this is the first year she plans to attend the public menorah-lighting since previously she felt uncomfortable expressing her Jewish identity in public.
“They want us to be afraid—to fear proudly proclaiming our Jewish identity,” she said. “I usually just light the menorah at home, but with all the anti-Semitism we are witnessing around us, I’m also going to join the public menorah-lighting because I think this is the most effective thing we can do to fight evil. We need to be taking it head on.”
Rabbi Nosson Meretsky, co-director of Chabad of Penn State with his wife, Sarah, said “the darkness that we, as a nation, have been experiencing must be fought with light and goodness, and we are putting together our biggest program ever to show that we will not be intimidated by those who wish to scare us.”
Bringing the Holiday to 8 Million
This year, Chabad-Lubavitch will reach an estimated 8 million Jews—more than half of the world’s Jewish population—with 700,000-plus menorah kits and 2.5 million holiday guides in 17 languages being distributed, 15,000 large public menorahs being erected, and public menorah-lightings and Chanukah events to be held throughout the eight-day holiday, which begins on Sunday night, Dec. 22, and continues through Monday, Dec. 30.
Chabad.org, the largest Jewish information website, is poised to see record-breaking traffic to its Chanukah site, Chanukah.org. The site offers an extensive selection of guides, videos, songs, insights, recipes and customs, in addition to the integral international Chanukah events directory.
Large menorahs will be displayed in front of iconic landmarks around the world, including the White House, the Eiffel Tower, the Brandenburg Gate and the Kremlin. Additionally, 5,000 menorah-topped cars are expected on the roads this year, creating holiday awareness in cities, towns and rural areas all over the globe.
The initiative to encourage and sponsor public lightings began 45 years ago, in 1973, when the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—launched the worldwide campaign in an effort to create awareness of Chanukah and and promote its observance. (Read the Rebbe’s letter about public menorah-lightings here.)
Events will be featured on the world’s largest Chanukah directory at Chanukah.org/Events. The directory features events in hundreds of cities around the world and is constantly being updated.
Holiday celebrations will take place in hundreds of venues. In Houston, Chabad Young Professionals will ride a party bus in a car-menorah parade and stop at the Helicopter Gelt Drop, as well as at the menorah-lighting at Houston City Hall. Oklahoma City’s tallest menorah will be lit in Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. In New Orleans, the menorah will be lit at the Riverwalk on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi.
And in arenas and stadiums across the United States, Chanukah will touch down for tens of thousands of fans. Jewish heritage events will take place at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium, at the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium and at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Events will take place in the NBA homes of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. The menorah’s lights will warm up hockey games at the homes of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets, as Jewish pride will take center stage in the hearts and minds of thousands.
Menorahs will be made of nearly every material out there. A surfboard menorah will be lit in Malibu, Calif. A popcorn menorah will illuminate Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois. In Islington in the United Kingdom., the world’s first kinetic laser menorah will be lit. Chabad of Charlotte, N.C., will make one out of Laffy Taffies. In Clearwater, Fla., the menorah will be made of dozens of boxes of breakfast cereal. In Australia’s tropical far north, a mango menorah illuminated Cairns, Australia. And New York City’s “Chanukah on Ice” will be headlined by a giant hand-carved ice menorah.
Thousands of events will be taking place in all 50 U.S. states, and more than 100 countries and territories. Here are just a few:
New York City
Following the deadly shootings this year at the JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey City and inside the synagogue at Chabad of Poway, Calif., and other recent incidents of violence against Jews, larger crowds than ever are expected at the lighting of the World’s Largest Menorah, which stands 36 feet high (the lights are 32 feet high, the most permissible by Jewish law, with the center light reaching an additional 4 feet) at Grand Army Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, across from the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. Crowds gather nightly for the public lighting led by a list of dignitaries. The menorah-lighting, which began in 1977, is celebrating its 42nd consecutive year of casting a luminous glow on the streets of New York City.
On Saturday evening, Dec. 28, some 300 menorah-topped cars and 55 mitzvah tanks (holiday-outfitted RVs) will pass the lighting as they drive down Fifth Avenue during the annual menorah parade.
And in Brooklyn, the first-ever “Virtual Reality” Chanukah celebration will take place at Yokey Pokey, a Virtual Reality Club located in downtown Brooklyn. The event will feature an educational 360-degree Virtual Reality experience of the Chanukah story, a Virtual Reality dreidel-spinning game, latke cooking and more.
St. Petersburg, Fla.
As South Florida braces for unseasonably rough weather, including severe storms and even potential tornadoes, many Chabad centers are moving their programs indoors. “The weather may be wet and windy, but that won’t put out the lights on our menorah,” said Rabbi Alter Korf, executive director of Chabad Jewish Center in St. Petersburg, Fla. Their event, dubbed “Chanukah in the City,” has relocated from a park on the shores of Tampa Bay to St Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Grand menorah-lightings will take place on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as on Fremont Street, featuring the “Dancing Dreidels.” A menorah car parade will drive the length of the strip, culminating at the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
Columbus, Ohio
As part of Chabad Columbus’ “Eight Nights of Fun” that will see Hanukkah celebrations every night of the holiday, a helicopter will be used to drop chocolate coins (gelt) in New Albany High School Stadium.
San Antonio, Texas
Chabad Lubavitch of South Texas will host its 22nd annual Chanukah on the River, an interactive holiday cruise experience, followed by a menorah-lighting and live concert featuring the internationally acclaimed Jewish acapella group the Maccabeats.
Twin Cities, Minn.
Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanigan will join a menorah-lighting on the steps of the State Capitol in St. Paul. The event will feature lively music and Chanukah treats.
San Francisco, Calif.
In Union Square, thousands are expected to join the nightly lightings of the “Bill Graham Menorah,” a 25-foot, 3-ton giant menorah built and first lit in 1975 with funding from the late rock-music impresario. The first Sunday of every Chanukah is “Bill Graham Menorah Day,” as officially declared by former Mayor Frank Jordan in 1993.
Laramie, Wyo.
Last year, in response to the Pittsburgh anti-Semitic massacre, Jewish community members in Laramie, Wyo., hosted their first-ever giant menorah-lighting. The menorah was obtained by Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn, who co-directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Wyoming with his wife, Raizy. “The community reached out and expressed their interest in honoring the victims of the Pittsburgh shooting by lighting a large menorah,” he said. This year, organizers are expecting attendance to surpass last year’s event, as more and more Jews express their pride in their faith.
Washington, D.C.
As many as 5,000 people will gather at the National Menorah located on the Ellipse in front of the White House lawn on Sunday, Dec. 22, for a menorah-lighting ceremony and concert. The menorah was first lit in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. It was designated in 1982 as the National Menorah by President Ronald Reagan, and has been erected and lit every year since.
Vail, Colo.
Chabad in the ski town of Vail is preparing to celebrate along with thousands of visitors. Tourists from across the United States and beyond are expected at Chanukah lightings to take place at many of the popular ski resorts, including a celebration at the Inn at Riverwalk in Edwards, “Chanukah on Ice” and a ski menorah in Lionshead Village. Convenient menorah kits will be distributed to travelers.
U.S. Military, State Department and Prison Inmates
Serving Jewish U.S. military and State Department personnel, as well as Jewish prison inmates, the Chabad-affiliated Aleph Institute, based in Surfside, Fla., will ship 730 new menorahs (many military bases have menorahs from previous years), 820 boxes of candles, 850 dreidels and 500 Chanukah books, plus the book GPS for the Soul, as well as Friday-night services booklets and chocolate bars to military and U.S. State Department installations around the world. Aleph will also be sending gifts to the children and grandchildren of service members.
An additional 700 menorahs, 1,125 boxes of Chanukah candles, 900 dreidels and 2,900 Chanukah books will be sent to prisons across the United States. Jewish inmates in 500 prisons nationwide will also receive visits during the holiday.
Toronto, Canada
“Chanukah at the Promenade” in Thornhill’s Promenade Mall will feature live music, latkes and doughnuts, and photo-ops with “Judah Maccabee.”
Montego Bay, Jamaica
What may be the first-ever airplane-mounted menorah was erected by Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, who co-directs Chabad of Jamaica with his wife, Mushkee. While the single-engine Cessnas didn’t take off with their menorahs—“We didn’t have enough straps to do that” says Raskin—they will help bring awareness of Chanukah to Jamaica’s Jewish residents and the many tourists visiting this season.
Cancun, Mexico
In the popular winter beach destination of Cancun, Chabad Jewish Center, co-directed by Rabbi Mendel Druk, will host nightly events such as “Latke Wars” on Sunday, Dec. 22, at Marina Puerto Cancun, and multiple public menorah-lightings, including at the Ritz-Carlton and La Isla Mall.
Aruba
Public menorah-lightings are planned for each night of the eight-day holiday with an expected attendance of 3,000, including a live concert on Sunday, Dec. 29, the eighth and final night of the holiday.
Dominican Republic
Chabad-Lubavitch of the Dominican Republic will host a mega-holiday event and menorah-lighting in Santo Domingo on the first night of the holiday. Events will also take place in Punta Cana in the east and on the north coast of the island. Menorahs will be distributed to the many Jewish tourists who visit during the winter holiday season, and Chanukah products will be on sale at the Chabad House in Santo Domingo.
London, England
In a video filmed at 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wished a very happy Chanukah “to all our Jewish friends, neighbors and relatives, wherever you are in the world.”
“It is a time to celebrate not just the miracle of the oil, but also your unique identity,” he said. “To pop the Chanukah menorah in the window and say to the world, just as Judah and his small band of poorly equipped Maccabees said to Antiochus III and his mighty Greek army all those years ago, ‘I am Jewish, and I am proud of it.’ ”
In London’s central Trafalgar Square, thousands will attend a menorah-lighting featuring dignitaries including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. The event, hosted by comedian Rachel Creeger, will include a performance by the Marc Levene Band.
London’s tallest menorah will be lit nightly at Golders Green Station in northern London. The menorah-lightings, which have taken place annually for more than 30 years, will feature live music, guests of honor and traditional oli-based treats.
Paris, France
A giant menorah will be lit at the Eiffel Tower, with thousands expected to attend, as they do every year. An additional 30 large public menorahs will be erected in central locations throughout Paris, with more than 30,000 menorah kits to be distributed to Jewish families and individuals.
Reykjavík, Iceland
Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson will join the public menorah-lighting on Laugavegur, Downtown Reykjavík’s main street. Ever since Rabbi Avi and Mushky Feldman founded the Chabad House in Iceland’s capital city in 2018, they’ve seen a resurgence in local Jewish pride. This year they expect their largest crowd yet at the menorah-lighting.
Sofia, Bulgaria
In the city that once sheltered its Jews from deportation as the Holocaust raged around them, Mayor Yordanka Fandakova will join the community in lighting a public menorah as they remember the resilience of the Jewish people through unimaginable persecution.
Central Africa
More than 1,000 people will celebrate Chanukah at public menorah-lightings in 19 countries across Central Africa, including in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya; Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Uganda. Thousands of menorah kits will also be distributed by Chabad rabbis and rabbinical students visiting Jewish homes throughout Central Africa.
Israel
Throughout Chanukah, Chabad-Lubavitch in Israel will distribute 300,000 sets of menorahs and candles to the public, as well as 430,000 traditional doughnuts (sufganiyot). Some 1,475 giant menorahs will be placed in city and town centers across the country, with another 5,350 menorahs featured in shopping malls, stores and offices. As many as 1,850 menorah-topped cars will travel throughout the eight days of Chanukah on roads across Israel, helping to promote the holiday.
In Sderot—long the target of terrorist rocket barrages—a giant menorah made of rockets that have fallen on Israel was lit at the city’s Chabad center, with Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi participating.
Bangkok, Thailand
Thousands of tourists, visitors and expats will celebrate Hanukkah in Thailand, with seven large public menorahs erected across the country, and hundreds of menorah kits to be distributed, particularly to young Israeli backpackers who are there for the holiday every year. Chabad of Bangkok will also host a gala community celebration and live performance by singers Nemuel Harush and Leibelle Lipsker Yoni Shlomo on Sunday, Dec. 22.
Mumbai, India
The iconic Gateway to India monument will once again shine with the light of Chanukah, as Rabbi Israel Koslovsky will host a large public menorah-lighting on the same spot it would be kindled each year by Chabad emissaries Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg, who were brutally murdered in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Australia and New Zealand
Melbourne
Considered Australia’s largest Jewish event, “Chanukah in the Park” will host more than 10,000 people at Caulfield Park for the annual celebration on Sunday, Dec. 22. The event will feature rides, entertainment, fireworks and a public menorah-lighting attended by state and federal officials, as well as Members of Parliament. In the Malvern neighborhood, the summer weather will be enjoyed with a carnival and BBQ, featuring a giant edible doughnut menorah.
Sydney
“Chanukah on Oxford” is just one of multiple public menorah-lightings in prominent Sydney locations, which will feature music, doughnuts, latkes and holiday gift bags.
Hong Kong
New Zealand
