World's Largest Menorah At Fifth Avenue

Over the years the World's Largest Menorah was also lighted by New York City Mayors, Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio and Governors Mario Cuomo, George Pataki and David Paterson, United States Senator Charles Schumer, as well as many other dignitaries.

The first candle will be lighted on Tuesday evening December 12, and the full Menorah will be lighted on Tuesday evening December 19. All weekday lightings are at 5:30 PM. Following each night's Menorah lighting ceremony, hundreds will dance, sing and celebrate.

The 36-foot high, gold colored, 4,000 pound steel structure will be lighted nightly with genuine oil lamps. Specially designed glass chimneys will protect the Chanukah lights from the Central Park winds.

"The menorah serves as a symbol of New York City's dedication to preserve and encourage the right and liberty of all its citizens to worship G‑d freely, openly, and with pride. Specifically in America, a nation that was founded upon and vigorously protects the right of every person to practice his or her religion free from restraint and persecution," said Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman, director, Lubavitch Youth Organization.

DESIGNED BY WORLD RENOWNED ARTIST YAACOV AGAM AND CERTIFIED BY GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS

The Menorah was certified by Guinness World Records as the World's Largest. It was specially designed by world renowned artist Yaacov Agam who lighted the Menorah many times. It was inspired by a hand drawing by the Rambam (Maimonides) of the original Menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.

REBBE PERSONALLY APPROVED MENORAH

The Menorah had the singular honor of standing in miniature on the desk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M Schneerson.  The Rebbe personally approved the form of the Menorah. It was only after the Rebbe's personal approval that the Menorah was built to its present dimensions.

REBBE WANTED THIS MENORAH TO BE THE LARGEST.

The Rebbe wanted this Menorah to be the world's largest and when there was talk about making a large Menorah in another city the Rebbe instructed that the height of that  city's Menorah should be 27 feet.

The 36-foot high, gold colored, 4,000 pound steel structure will be lighted nightly with genuine oil lamps. Specially designed glass chimneys will protect the Chanukah lights from the Central Park winds.

Due to the height of the Menorah, it will be lit nightly with the help of a special 45 foot "cherry-picker" crane as well as two lifts on both sides of the Menorah that lift the lighters to the "Menorah Heights."

"REBBE LIKED THIS MENORAH"

"The Rebbe liked this Menorah," said Yaacov Agam. "The Rebbe wanted that this Menorah should be the World's Largest."

THE REBBE LIGHTING UP THE WORLD

The annual event is part of a worldwide Chanukah campaign set into motion in 1973, by the Rebbe.

Today, the unprecedented public display of Chanukah has become a staple of Jewish cultural and religious life, forever altering the American practice and perception of the festival. This year, Chabad-Lubavitch will set up more than 15,000 large public menorahs in more than 100 counties around the world, including in front of landmarks such as the White House, the Eiffel Tower, and the Kremlin.

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO VIEW MENORAH

The lighting of the World's Largest Chanukah Menorah is always the central event of Chanukah for the millions of residents of New York and visitors to the Big Apple. It is also a favorite with the International media who put the World's Largest Chanukah Menorah in the center of their "Chanukah story," bringing the World's Largest Menorah into the homes of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.

GRAND MENORAH PARADE

On Shabbos, Saturday, evening, December 16th, the Grand Menorah Parade of over 300 Menorah vehicles will take place. The Parade will leave Lubavitch World Headquarters at 6:00 PM and will pass by the World's Largest Chanukah Menorah at approximately 9:00 PM.

HOT "LATKES" ON FIFTH AVENUE

Every Chanukah evening a special Chanukah celebration will take place at the World's Largest Chanukah Menorah. The celebration will include live music, singing and dancing, "Chanukah Gelt" for the children and hot "Latkes" (potato pancakes), the traditional food of Chanukah, will be distributed to everyone. "We want people to 'taste' the tradition," said Rabbi Butman.

A CAMPAIGN TO "COME LIGHT THE MENORAH."

New York's most popular radio stations, WCBS and WINS, will carry a steady Chanukah call to millions of people to "Come light the Menorah." The message by Rabbi Butman is for everyone to light the Menorah in their own home, "It's exciting, it's triumphant. It's many voices as one cheering light over darkness, joy over sorrow, freedom over oppression."

"The prominence of the Menorah carries an additional message," adds Rabbi Butman. "The Rebbe teaches that soon there will be another light, an eternal light, the eternal light of Moshiach, the eternal light of the Great Redemption."

The lighting schedule for the World's Largest Chanukah Menorah is as follows:

Tuesday, December 12 - 5:30 PM
Wednesday, December 13 - 5:30 PM
Thursday, December 14 - 5:30 PM
Friday, December 15 - 3:30 PM

Shabbos, Saturday, December 16 - 8:30 PM
Sunday, December 17 - 5:30 PM
Monday, December 18 - 5:30 PM
Tuesday, December 19 - 5:30 PM

This release was issued through The Xpress Press News Service, merging e-mail and satellite distribution technologies to reach business analysts and media outlets worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.XpressPress.com.

SOURCE Jewish News Agency