By COLlive reporter
Photos: Simon Roumani
New York’s ranking U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was honored with kindling the first candle on the world’s largest Chanukah menorah, located in Manhattan.
The 32-foot high, gold colored, 4,000 pound steel structure was designed by renowned artist Yaacov Agam and uses genuine oil lamps overlooking Central Park.
Standing on a Con Edison “cherry-picker” crane between the Plaza and the Pierre Hotels, Schumer said the blessings on Wednesday, the first night of Chanukah.
He was accompanied by Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Executive Director of Lubavitch Youth Organization, which sponsors the Menorah and its nightly lighting ceremony at New York’s most fashionable plaza.
Schumer joins a host of New York City leaders who got to share the light, among them Mayors Abe Beame, Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, and Governors Mario Cuomo, George Pataki and David Paterson.
The Menorah was certified by the Guinness World Records as the World’s Largest. The Rebbe even has a miniature replica standing on his desk at Lubavitch Headquarters.
Lubavitch Youth sponsored a special Chanukah message on New York’s most popular radio stations, WCBS and WINS, calling on Jews to join the ceremony and also light a menorah in their own homes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Senator Schumer emphasized that “the United States stands firmly behind a secured Israel,” adding that both “are the two countries who have the strongest commitment to fighting terrorism.”
Talking about the timing of Chanuka coinciding with Thanksgiving, Rabbi Butman said: “A Menorah is a unique opportunity for ‘thanksgiving,’ to thank G-d for all the miracles that He performed for us from ‘in those days’ and ‘in our days’, as the blessing goes.”
The lighting schedule for the World’s Largest Chanukah Menorah on Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, is as follows:
Thursday, Second Candle – 5:30 PM
Friday, Third Candle – 3:41 PM
Shabbos evening, Fourth Candle – 8:30 PM
Sunday, Fifth Candle – 5:30 PM
Monday, Sixth Candle – 5:30 PM
Tuesday, Seventh Candle – 5:30 PM
Wednesday, Eight Candle – 5:30 PM
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