Menorah Parade in Berlin

Throughout the 8-day holiday of Chanukah, the streets of Berlin were brightly lit with ten 15-foot tall menorahs around the city in many populated areas, in addition to the over 500 bus stops which featured advertisements for a large central menorah lighting.

But as the excitement filled up throughout the city, there was still one thing missing- a car menorah parade! The Shluchim and Talmidim Ha’shluchim worked tirelessly to secure a first-time ever permit for the parade.

At first the answer was: Definitely not. Maybe in 2 or 3 years… But of course, the Shluchim knew never to give up, even though the parade was set to take place in only 5 short days.

And, as Divine Intervention would have it, the 3rd day of Chanukah, the day the Alter Rebbe was released from his imprisonment for a second time, a faxed permit was received… that the parade could proceed, with a police escort no less.

The very next day, a parade traveled through the streets of Berlin, with 9 menorah-topped cars and 3 police cars. They drove from the Chabad House synagogue to the enormous and beautiful Menorah lighting at the Brandenburg Tor, the same place where Hitler Y’SH delivered his vile public addresses.

Here, 2,000 people participated in the Chanukah festivities. Special thanks to Rabbis Yehuda Teichtel, Shmuel Segal and Talmidim Ha’shluchim Chaim Rosenstein, Yehoshua Berkowicz, Eli Drori, Aaron Rafkin, David Feldman, Avraham Djian, Sholom Ber Haller, and Menachem Mendel Ramniceanu. They made this year’s Chanukah mivtzoim and activities possible.