By COLlive staff
As in years past, a nationwide essay contest for children has attracted submissions from across the country.
The National Menorah Essay Contest is dedicated by American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), the event’s sponsoring organization, in memory of Rabbi Mendy Deren a”h, who served on shlichus in Washington, DC, and helped develop the National Menorah program, a favorite of his.
Children in 3rd to 6th grades write essays entitled “What Chanukah means to me” and the winners are flown with a chaperone to Washington, DC, where they read their essay live in front of thousands of guests at an event seen by tens of millions across the US!
This year’s winners are Isabelle Alperin, a 4th grade student at Mazel Day School in Brooklyn, NY and Shayna Bronchtain, a 6th Grade student at Desert Torah Academy in Las Vegas, NV.
The National Menorah on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C., will be lit at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 22, the first night of Chanukah.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt will join Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), for the lighting.
VIDEO:
Essay contest winner is announced:
The winner from Vegas is Fraida Bronchtain. Not Shaina. Yeah Fraida 👏🎉. We are sooooo proud.