Arizona Mayor Comes Full Circle

By COLlive reporter

The majority of the crowd that gathered in downtown Tucson for the 28th annual Menorah lighting at El Presidio Park was not aware that it was a homecoming of sorts for Jonathan Rothschild, the city’s newly elected Mayor.

In the late afternoon shadow of City Hall and the Old County Courthouse, Rothschild was honored on Tuesday, Dec. 20 with making a blessing and kindling the first flame of the the city’s tallest Menorah – 13 feet – sponsored by Chabad Tucson.

“It was a great honor and privilege to be asked to light the Menorah in Presidio Park on the first night of Chanukah,” the Mayor said and added, “It did bring back memories of the lighting that first year in 1983.”

Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Director of Chabad Tucson, first introduced the gold-colored nine-branched steel candelabra in 1983 as part of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement’s global effort to spread the holiday’s message of freedom over oppression.

“Then I was there as an attorney and community activist who helped get the Menorah established in the Park,” Mayor Rothschild, a native Tucsonian, fondly recalled.

“Now, I’ve come back much older, and was so thrilled to see so many young people from around the country participating and enjoying Tucson, outdoors, in December, singing and enjoying our Festival of Lights,” he said.

In addition to members of the Tucson Jewish community, attending the ceremony were 70 children of the winter Arizona Shluchim Camp in the mountain town of Oracle for the sons and daughters of Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis living outside established Jewish communities around the world.

“It (was) so heartening. Keep up the good work,” Rothschild told Rabbi Shemtov and Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, Director of Development of Chabad Tucson, before heading back to work holding latkes and sufganiot, the fried food eaten to commemorate the miracle of the oil after the Jews liberated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Another holiday tradition that was kept was the age-old custom to distribute gifts of Chanukah gelt (money) which was generously handed out by Bruce Ash, a businessman and philanthropist.

Chabad Tucson, and its affiliates Chabad on the River and Chabad at the University of Arizona, are holding Chanukah celebrations across the city and are giving out free Menorah kits and a children’s holiday magazine.