Photos: Sholem Srugo/COLlive
This annual lighting of the National Menorah took place this year in Washington, DC, with special precautions in place due to the global pandemic. The beautiful weather set the stage for a joyous celebration commemorating the first night of Chanukah.
Although the Menorah Lighting, which took place near the White House, was attended by a socially distanced crowd of hundreds – instead of the usual thousands – it was viewed by tens of millions of people around the world.
This event has actually reached a record amount of people, with over 50 million seeing it on over 1,000 national and local TV newscasts in all 50 US states and around the world, according to professional news monitoring.
The US Navy Band (led by Capt. Kenneth Collins, USN), played special Chanukah selections, including a really warm welcome for Dreidelman, along with the Three Cantors – world-renowned Itzchak Meir Helfgot, Yaakov Motzen, and Aaron Tessler – Jeff Nadel (Musical Director).
Emily Matushanky (Mazel Day School – Brooklyn, NY) and Ariel Meyers (New England Hebrew Academy – Brookline, MA) read their winning entries in the Rabbi Mendy Deren Memorial National Menorah Essay Contest. They were presented with a special Merit Coin by the US Secretary of Interior, Hon. David Bernhardt.
And for the first time, two Five Star Generals – Baruch Dukes and Blimi Raitport, were officially recognized by the youth corp of Tzivos Hashem.
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, reminded everyone of the message of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, that “we are all part of one whole.”
United States Interior Secretary, Hon. David l. Bernhardt, represented and brought greetings on behalf of The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and Vice President Mike Pence and the Administration. Secretary Bernhardt expressed his deep satisfaction at seeing this event occur in such a prestigious space even during such challenging times. (The Ellipse, President’s Park, falls under the purview of the National Park Service, a division of the Department of the Interior).
He also expressed his strong support for the Jewish people – here, in Israel and all over the world.
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) and organizer of the event, related how colleagues were organizing similar events across the US and in over 100 countries around the world, even as many events were adjusted for covid-19.
“We may be socially distanced in this time, but we must be sure to be emotionally and spiritually close and united, even more than ever before,” Rabbi Levi Shemtov said.
He also noted the management of the event by Rabbi Menachem and Racheli Shemtov, who were assisted by a team of bochurim from the Lubavitch Mesivta in Baltimore, MD. Mrs. Shana Ceitlin skillfully oversaw the Rabbi Mendy Deren National Menorah Essay contest and coordinated the press coverage and logistical details.
Secretary Bernhardt, Rabbi Abraham Shemtov and Rabbi Levi Shemtov then proceeded to light the National Menorah to the delight of the participants, who numbered hundreds instead of the usual thousands, given the limited seating due to the current pandemic.
Of course, hot latkes, donuts and free menorah kits and guides were distributed to the crowd after the lighting.
Organizers offered to send a free menorah kit, while supplies last, to anyone who requests one at [email protected] (Contributions to support the National Menorah can also be made at this site.) Since the event, requests for menorahs and materials have come in from across the US.
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