New York City, and indeed the world, witnessed the magnificent spectacle of the World’s Largest Menorah, an iconic symbol of hope and resilience, illuminating Manhattan this Chanukah. Towering outside of the Plaza Hotel at 36 feet, the grand menorah, designed by Israeli artist Yaacov Agam and inspired by a Maimonides drawing, stood proudly opposite Central Park, drawing large crowds each night.
Of the many dignitaries and important people in attendance, it was Governor Kathy Hochul’s presence that underscored the event’s significance, reinforcing New York’s stand against antisemitism and its commitment to protecting the Jewish People. Hochul addressed the crowd on the first night of the holiday saying “Chanukah is a reminder of the strength, the resiliency and the ability to find light through darkness. And if ever in our history in New York we have needed to find light after darkness, it is right now.”
Hochul then shared a personal story, relating her eagerness to visit Israel in solidarity with the Jewish people even after her father’s passing the night before.
“I went to the Wailing Wall the next morning [after my father’s passing],” she said. “I put two messages in. One for the people of Israel because they were dealing with such pain and suffering, and I wanted to comfort them. And also one for my father. All he wanted to do was go to Israel… He had gone to the Wailing Wall as well. So it was important for me to go.”
With it being a dark time for the Jewish people, many of whom are feeling scared since the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, many wondered how Chanukah would be celebrated in 2023. But, bucking all precedents, this Chanukah, Jews chose to celebrate their identity with more confidence and resolve, seeing a surge in public displays of Jewishness. Many individuals attended public menorah lightings and chose to light their menorahs in visible places, such as their windows.
The World’s Largest Menorah assuaged the public’s fear when it debuted with its assembly a day before Chanukah, announcing to the public that despite the war in Israel and rising antisemitism across the U.S., the light of the world’s most famous menorah would not be diminished. As each of the eight nights saw a new candle lit, so too the crowds grew with each night, drawing people from all walks of life to share in the joy and light of what has become a major New York holiday tradition.
Amongst the highlights of the celebrations was a lively concert by Eli Marcus on the night of the fifth candle, transforming Fifth Avenue into a vibrant hub of singing and dancing as well as the final “All Nights Light” on the eighth night of Chanukah, a celebration of the culmination of the holiday and of the immense light the Menorah projects when all its lights are kindled.
With all candles lit on the menorah, Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Director of the Lubavitch Youth Organization and organizer of the event proudly called out to the crowd “This year’s celebration is even bigger and more comprehensive than we’ve ever done before,” Butman said. “Just like Judah the Macabee did not negotiate with the enemy neither should we!”
The event attracted national TV coverage and articles from numerous news outlets, including more than 60 internet hits and even more on social media. The photogenic menorah was the centerpiece for many people’s holiday photos and drew a crowd from well beyond the Jewish community.
The lighting of this monumental menorah echoed the call of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, for greater awareness of the holiday. The Rebbe launched the Chanukah Awareness Campaign in 1973, aiming to draw greater visibility and observance to the holiday and in the half-century since the campaign was launched, the “Festival of Lights” has entered the public sphere. The Menorah–with its universal message of freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and of the ultimate victory of good over evil–has since won a place not only in Jewish life, but also in the life of the American people.
The World’s Largest Menorah, a project initiated by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, and spearheaded by Butman projects these messages far and wide. The Menorah–which debuted at the Plaza Hotel as a simple menorah erected in 1977–has since grown to be a globally recognized icon, drawing visitors and locals alike to its nightly lighting.
As Butman relayed “The menorah increases in light, growing brighter night after night, and serves as a powerful symbol of the Jewish People’s unwavering spirit. It stands as a reminder that even a little light can overcome a great deal of darkness and may the lights of Chanukah usher in the eternal lights of the great redemption.”
