Photos: MG In Focus
Thousands of people holding tickets – over 4,500 were requested and distributed before the event – made their way to The Ellipse, just across from The White House in Washington, DC, to participate in the lighting ceremony of the National Menorah.
The entire program was taken to a whole new level to accommodate the unprecedented interest in the event. An expanded team, headed by Rabbi Menachem Shemtov, worked diligently for weeks to help coordinate the many critical details.
In addition to the National Menorah Orchestra, expertly conducted by Maestro Avremi Gourarie (the military bands got a break this year), produced by Yitzy Schwartz of the ‘A Team’, and the Three Cantors – Jeff Nadel (Musical Director), Yaakov Lemmer and Yaakov Motzen, the crowd was treated to a pre-event concert by the 8th Day Band.
Mussie Greenberg (4th Grade Cheder Chabad – Philadelphia) and Ella Kranz (5th Grade Hebrew Academy – Margate, FL) read their winning entries in the Rabbi Mendy Deren Memorial National Menorah Essay Contest.
They were followed by Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, Executive Chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad – the international Chabad-Lubavitch movement, and founder of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) as well as the National Menorah program.
The orchestra played special Chanukah selections, including the welcome for Dreidelman, followed by a moving rendition of Haneiros Halalu (“These Flames”) with a special appearance by Grammy Award Winner Miri Ben-Ari, and during that musical presentation R’ Shaul Bessel, a senior sofer (Jewish ritual scribe) wrote the Torah’s words about the ancient Tabernacle menorah into “The Washington Torah” a special Torah scroll being written entirely within the nation’s capital for the first time in history.
US Treasury Undersecretary Adam S. Szubin, one of the highest ranking observant Jews in government today, represented and brought greetings from the Administration. Secretary Szubin remarked how his grandfather, a survivor of the Holocaust, could only be marveling at the site of his grandson standing on the grounds of the White House as a senior government official lighting the National Menorah so publicly.
Then, invoking the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, he continued, “Lighting the menorah symbolizes the triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness. Needless to say, darkness is not chased away by brooms and sticks, but by illumination. Those are his words and I think they are as appropriate today as they’ve ever been.”
He then conveyed wishes of a “freilichen” Chanukah, a Happy Chanukah, on behalf of the President, the First Lady and the entire Administration.
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) and organizer of the event, reiterated those thoughts and, noting the disappointment and sadness in the community as a result of the recent vote at the United Nations which has been deemed harmful to Israel, noted, “As I know that some of us are so sad at what happened there with regard to Israel we must remember that the way to counter any darkness, any disappointment is not with harsh rhetoric, not with anger, but when we create light, the darkness dissipates.” (Certain news outlets tried to create sensational headlines later that evening and the next day by distorting his statement, but these were the actual words he said.)
Secretary Szubin, Rabbis Abraham Shemtov and Rabbi Levi Shemtov then proceeded to light the National Menorah to the delight of the thousands (about 5,000) present.
Many thousands of hot latkes, donuts and free menorah kits and guides were distributed to the crowd after the lighting.
Organizers also offered to send a free menorah kit, while supplies last, to anyone who requests one at info@nationalmenorah.org Since the event, requests for menorahs have come in from across the US, as far away as Oregon and Hawaii.
