We are proud to say that, with the help of many good people at city hall, there is a Menorah on public display in Eagle Rock, for the first time in history!

Click here to see some of Chabad's public Menorahs from around the globe.

Why a Menorah?

The story of Chanukah tells of the miraculous victory of the few freedom fighters over their oppressive overlords, a story of religious freedom, an ironic tale of tolerance and understanding. But, surprisingly, that's not the main focus of the Chanukah celebration. Yes, we thank G-d for His deliverance, and we commemorate the victory in other ways, but the primary Mitzvah of Chanukah is with the Menorah.

Back in the days of the original Chanukah, the Syrian-Greeks tried their utmost to uproot the Jewish People's unwavering belief in G-dliness. To this end, they defiled the Holy Temple, erecting idols and sacrificing swine on the altar. But that wasn't enough. The Greeks opened and contaminated every flask of pure oil in the Temple. This was their final stand. Even after the war and miraculous defeat of the Syrian-Greek army, after the oppressors were driven out of the land, they were still trying to eradicate our faith in holiness, sacredness, and purity. 

When the Maccabbees returned to the Temple and thoroughly cleansed it, they wanted to light the Temple Menorah, as commanded by G-d in the Torah, but they couldn't find any pure oil. They could have waited a week for new oil. They could even have lit the Menorah with impure oil! But the Maccabbees, being the Maccabbees, would not give in. They still held onto the belief that there is always something sacred, something pure, even if it's hidden away.

And G-d showed them that they were right. They found a single cruse of oil, only enough to last for one day, but miraculously, it lasted for eight.

The Menorah, besides for being a universal symbol of religious freedom and tolerance, holds a much deeper message as well. No matter who we are, each one of us has a cruse of pure oil deep down inside, just waiting to be ignited. All we need to do is believe in ourselves, trust in G-d, and never give up.

The Story of Chanukah

Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish festival of light that occurs in December. It celebrates the triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness.

More than twenty-one centuries ago, Israel was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel, banning ritual circumcision, Shabbat observance, and Torah study, by penalty of death.

A small band of passionately faithful Jews, calling themselves the Maccabees, stood up against the Greeks — one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove them from the land, and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

The Greeks, however, determined as they were to eradicate Jewish faith, had defiled and contaminated the Holy Temple, and the Jewish people devoted themselves to cleansing, restoration, and rededication the sacred sanctuary.

When the victors sought to light the Temple’s menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

Chanukah Observances

To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the celebration is the nightly menorah lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second night, and so on, until the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled.

“The Chanukah Lights remind us that illumination begins at home, within ourselves and our family, by increasing in our good and kind acts, just as the Chanukah Lights are kindled in growing numbers from day to day. But though it begins at home, it does not stop there. When we kindle the Chanukah Lights, we are expressly meant to illuminate the “outside,” alluding to our duty to bring light to those who still walk in darkness.”

Other Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil — latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed four Hebrew letters); and the giving of Chanukah gelt — gifts of money — to children. 

For much more on Chanukah, please visit chanukah.org.

Be sure to check out our calendar for our next Shabbat Dinner!

-Rabbi Zalman and Chani Friedman