Chanukah Lights Up Brisbane

Chanukah lit up Brisbane’s CBD as the Jewish community joined with friends and visitors to celebrate the first night of the eight day festival with the lighting of a six metre tall menorah in Reddacliff Place, Queen Street Mall on the evening of Tuesday 20 December.

The concept of public Menorah lightings was initiated and encouraged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi M M Schneersohn as a means to promulgate the great miracle and spread the universal message of Chanukah, to wit: “the triumph of light over darkness, of right over might, and of justice over tyranny.”

Over 1200 people joined Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and Rabbi Levi Jaffe in a countdown to the moment of lighting the enormous candles. Lifted to the top of the giant menorah in a suitably decorated cherry picker, Lord Mayor Quirk received enthusiastic cheers from the huge gathering as the centre ‘service candle’ burst into flame. Following the recital of the appropriate blessings, the kindling of the first light by Rabbi Jaffe heralded the official beginning of Chanukah.

Chabad Brisbane, on behalf of the Brisbane Jewish community, presented Lord Mayor Graham Quirk with a gift of a crystal menorah in appreciation of his continued support for bringing Chanukah into the heart of the city.

Other distinguished guests at the event included Senator Claire Moore representing the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Michael Choi MP for Premier Anna Bligh. Both brought warm wishes and messages of support and appreciation from our state and national leaders. Also in attendance were Jason Steinberg, President of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, and many other State and Local delegates and community leaders. A message for the event was also received by Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks of the British Commonwealth.

Oil plays a significant role in this festival, as Chanukah commemorates the 2000 year old miracle of light when the Menorah burned for eight days in the newly liberated Temple in Jerusalem, despite there being only enough oil for one day. To commemorate this, parents, children, grandchildren and friends of the Jewish community feasted on traditional oil-fried Chanukah fare including latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts while enjoying lively music performed by the Hylton Chilchik band. The memorable event culminated with an exhilarating fireworks display bursting into an explosion of colour over the Brisbane River.

Feedback from this year’s Chanukah in the City was enthusiastically positive. In the words of Jewish community stalwart Pamela Huppert “It’s the best Chanukah celebration I have been to, and I congratulate the organisers on such a wonderfully joyous evening.” Organisers are already looking forward to doing it all again in 2012.

The 6 metre tall Menorah (or Chanukiah) remains in Reddacliff Place for the duration of Chanukah, with an additional light kindled each evening at sunset for the duration of the eight day the celebration that concludes on 28 December.

Chanukah in the City is a project of Chabad Brisbane, run by Shluchim Rabbi Levi Jaffe and Chanoch Sufrin.