By COLlive reporter
The Star of David Menorah placed each holiday of Chanukah at the Brandenburg gate in Berlin is one of the most high-profile expressions of the revival of Jewish life in Germany.
This year, the candle lighting ceremony at one of Germany’s most important symbols was used to peddle another cause.
Invited to joining German officials and leaders of the Jewish community in lighting the torch were children of Syrian refugees that found a safe home in Berlin.
Together, they lit the flames of what is considered the largest Menorah in Europe and passed it on to German Minister of Culture and Media, Professor Monika Grütters and Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, Rabbi of the Berlin Jewish community and Directed of Chabad of Berlin.
“Our presence here is a message which shows that peace and tolerance are stronger than any dispute,” Rabbi Teichtal said before being lifted in a crane to light the Menorah and recite the traditional blessings.
“Just a few weeks ago we witnessed the Paris terror attack which has spread darkness and fear all around us,” he said. “Tonight, we are here to say that light shall prevail over darkness and tyranny. Those who spread fear have but one purpose, to destroy the unity and peace between cultures.”
2,000 people were in attendance at the ceremony that took place at the historic Pariser Platz square named after the French capital of Paris. In attendance were representatives of local mosques and Aiman Mazyek, Chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany.
Present were also U.S Ambassador to Germany John B. Emerson, Israeli delegate to Germany Avi Nir, and diplomats of Britain, Poland, Italy, Ukraine, Brazil, Denmark and others.
“70 years after the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camps and 50 years after the establishment of the German-Israeli diplomatic relations, Jewish life In Germany has been restored to its rightful place,” commented Minister Grütters.
“It is very symbolic that here at the Brandenburg gate – which symbolizes Germany’s greatest moments on one hand and its darkest on the other – we celebrate Hanukah together!”
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Here’s a shliach that is away from the comforts of ch and the states spreading light where he is around. Jews are supposed to spread light everywhere, for the world to be inspired.
Good job shluchim for making a beautiful event in a place that has so much darkness.
Charity starts and never ends at home!
Rav Teichtel – try inviting them to eat with you on Friday night in your Shul. Menora is for Yidden and by Yidden. A Freilichen Chanuka. Let us all be Mispalel that Europe and America remain safe until Moshiach will arrive.
I can’t stand this liberal mentality…shluchim , stay strong and get ur publicity ,sympathy and donations by being true to ur selves!
For a photo op is disgraceful especially when anti Semites are used.
Chanukah is to be celebrated by Jews for Jews.
There are plenty of Jewish Neshamas that can light the Menorah. Im not exactly sure I understand why Syrian refugees and Mosque leaders must be brough in to light our Menorah. Is this a gimmick to get publicity? Are we selling ourselves just to find an edge? While We are all for inclusion and Pirsumei Nissah, we must be very very careful extending ourselves in areas that are extremely volatile and controversial.
Es Past Nisht… Sorry
Up a real success if you could get a Isis terrorist to light that menorah maybe like even Osama bin laden himself to light the menorah, oish I forgot he’s dead.
Just FYI, there are almost no Jewish Syrian citizens left in Syria, some estimate the remaining number to be as low as a minyan or so of Jewish men, and a commensurately low number of women. Most of them are older – over the age of 60. Most Jews who wanted to remain openly Jewish after the wars of ’48,’67, and ’73 were afraid to remain in that country and left, the last of them in a mass migration during the early to mid 1990s, These Jews had been stripped of their personal belongings, properties, citizenship and civil rights, yet… Read more »
Keep them happy in Germany coz we don’t want them here in london!
Well said 🙂
It doesn’t matter what’s their religion race creed color the Rebbe said light up menorah to publicise to the whole world the miracle lights of Chanukah.
Number 2, I am likely very close to you politically but you should probably just let this whole thing slide… Rabbi Teichtal is no left wing politician and is steering an entire Jewish community in a very difficult place and in a difficult time, so while this conduct may seem unwise to you or to me, the intelligent approach is to defer judgment to the one with most skin in the game and in the best position to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision.
i think you are very brave. I could never stand in this country, or any of the other places that took our people. I think you are so strong and so marvelous.
CSimcha
Please explain who these Syrian refugees are? Are they jewish?
Wishing these shluchim great hatzlacha. May Hashem watch over you, over all the shluchim, and over all the rest of Am Yisrael.