Bloomberg Lights NYC Menorah ● Video

Bloomberg from COLlive.com on Vimeo.

The second candle on the world’s largest Chanukah Menorah was lit at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, near Central Park.

Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman, Director of the Lubavitch Youth Organization was lifted by a Con Edison “cherry-picker” along with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The ceremony, which was followed by live music and dancing, was enjoyed by hundreds. After the lighting doughnuts and chocolate chanukah gelt were distributed.

“The lighting of the World’s largest Chanukah Menorah takes on a special meaning this year,” said Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman, Director of the Lubavitch Youth Organization, who will light the Menorah nightly together with special dignitaries “as the Menorah joins the ‘unite to light’ campaign in memory of the terror victims in Mumbai.”

The Menorah, certified by the McGinnis Book of Records as the World’s Largest, was specially designed by world renowned artist Yaakov Agam. Yaakov Agam’s design was inspired by a hand drawing by the Rambam (Maimonides) of the original Menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. The 32-foot high, gold colored, 4,000 pound steel structure will be lit nightly with genuine oil lamps. Specially designed glass chimneys protect the Chanukah lights from the Central Park winds.