December 25, 2024 Submitted by Rabbi Levi Lezell
This Hanukkah, the South Shore is seeing a surge in public displays of the holiday and Jewish identity, with many more families and individuals planning to light their menorahs in visible places, such as their doors or windows. Chabad of the South Shore will light a public 10 foot menorah erected at the Hingham Shipyard, followed by a community celebration on Thursday, December 26th, the second night of Hanukkah.
“At this difficult time for the Jewish people, with forces of evil waging a war on Israel and the challenges facing good people everywhere, this year we are extending ourselves more to celebrate Hanukkah with additional joy and Jewish pride,” said Rabbi Levi Lezell. “The Menorah and Hanukkah represent freedom of the human spirit, freedom from hate and oppression, and of the victory of good over evil.”
The ceremony will feature a menorah lighting and an array of entertainment for all ages including a Gelt Drop as well as hot drinks and a selection of traditional Hanukkah foods. Throughout the state of Massachusetts, Chabad-Lubavitch will be presenting dozens of Hanukkah events and celebrations, including public menorah lightings, ice menorah displays, car-top menorah parades, community gatherings, giant dreidel houses, Chanukah Wonderlands and more.
Chabad extends a special thank you to the Hingham Fire Department for their assistance with the coin drop, to the Launch at the Hingham Shipyard for hosting the event and to the event sponsor, the Herb Chambers Companies car dealership.
This year’s celebrations carry added significance as they mark 50 years since the first public menorah which was lit at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia in 1974. The public menorah was lit after the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, launched the worldwide Hanukkah campaign in 1973 to build awareness and promote observance of Hanukkah. In keeping with that initiative, Chabad placed the area’s first public menorah in 2012. In the years since, they have welcomed the entire community to the annual menorah lighting in a display of Jewish pride and a reminder of the importance of freedom of religion for everyone.
This year’s Hanukkah campaign will be one of unprecedented light and joy, seeing Chabad reach more than 8 million Jews in more than 100 countries. Hingham’s menorah is one of over 15,000 large public menorahs throughout the world, including notable menorahs in front of the White House, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Great Wall of China, and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
“The message of the Menorah’s light is that no matter how intense the darkness may seem, the divine light of goodness always prevails,” added Rabbi Lezell. “Each night of Hanukkah we light an additional candle, which reminds us not to be satisfied with the amount of light we had yesterday, but that rather in matters of goodness and kindness we must be forever growing.”
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EVENT RECAP:
What: South Shore Menorah Lighting and Hannukah Gelt Drop
Where: At the entrance to the Hingham Shipyard
When: First second of Hannukah, Thursday, December 26th at 5:30 PM
Cost: No Cost
RSVP: SouthShoreChabad.com/Menorah
ABOUT HANUKKAH
Hanukkah, the 8-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on the evening of Wednesday, December 25 and concludes on Thursday Jan, 2 at nightfall. It recalls the victory of the militarily weak but spiritually strong Jewish people, who defeated the Syrian-Greeks who had sought to impose restrictions on the Jewish way of life and practice, desecrating the Holy Temple and the oil prepared for the daily lighting of the menorah.
Upon recapturing the Temple, only one jar of undefiled oil—enough to burn for one day—was found, but it lasted miraculously for eight days. In commemoration, Jews light an eight-branched candelabrum known as a menorah, adding another candle each night. The holiday carries a universal message of the triumph of freedom over oppression and light over darkness. Additional information about the Hanukkah holiday is available at Chabad.org/Hanukkah.