By COLlive reporter
Photos by Shimon Roumani
New York’s Manhattan was once again the venue of what the Guinness Book of Records labeled the largest Menorah in the world.
And a line-up of dignitaries and elected officials were most eager to help light it on the bustling and fashionable intersection of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, by Central Park.
Each evening, crowds gathered to watch the Menorah being lit and enjoy some traditional Chanukah foods, all organized and sponsored by Lubavitch Youth Organization.
“The Menorah expresses the freedom to practice what we believe,” commented the Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, standing up high alongside Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Director of Lubavitch Youth.
It takes 3 Con Edison “cherry-picker” cranes and another 2 side lifts to raise the ones lighting the 32-foot high, 4,000 pound steel structure that uses genuine oil lamps.
The Mayor proudly noted that this was his 11th time lighting this unique Menorah, designed by Yaacov Agam and inspired by the Rambam’s sketch of what the Menorah of the Beis Hamikdash looked like.
“New York has what to be proud about,” Bloomberg noted and added a few more reasons: “Life expectancy is at a record high, murder is at a record low, tourism is at a record high and the people of New York helped each other during Hurricane Sandy.”
While lighting on Chanukah night number three, Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger praised the dedicated work of the Shluchim as inspired and instructed by the Rebbe.
In response, Rabbi Butman noted that “it is with the fire of the Rebbe, and only with the fire of the Rebbe, that we light all Menorahs throughout the world.”
He stressed what the Rebbe said that we are “The last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption. May these lights of Chanukah usher in the eternal lights of the great redemption.”
Until the redemption comes, the Jewish nation prays and hopes for its survival, pointed out Ron Prosor, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
“G-d who made miracles for our forefathers “Bayamim Haheim – in those days” should also make miracles for us “Bizman Hazeh – in our time,” he said, a message echoed by most participants.
Others who lit the Menorah were New York City Comptroller John Liu and Consul General of Israel Ido Aharoni.
Kol hakavod