From national capitals and parliaments to state legislatures and small town squares, presidents, governors, ministers, mayors, legislators and other officials are marking Chanukah with Jewish communities around the world by participating in Chabad-Lubavitch public menorah-lightings. The eight-day holiday started on Dec. 7 and lasts through Dec. 15, and is celebrated with nightly lightings of the menorah.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter was one of the first public officials to take part in public menorah lighting and was certainly the first head of state to do so, when he inaugurated the National Menorah in Washington, D.C. in the winter of 1979.
Among the officials who this year joined menorah-lightings to express support for the Jewish community and the belief in the universal message of freedom and liberty communicated by the menorah’s lights was Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany; President Javier Milei of Argentina; President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine; U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont; U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania; and Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey.
For menorah-lightings and other events near you, consult the Chabad-Lubavitch Chanukah Event Directory.
Little Rock, Ark.
Extolling the Jewish virtues of perseverance, faith and tradition, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas lit the grand menorah in the state capital of Little Rock on the first night of Chanukah. “It is an honor to stand with the Jewish community of Arkansas not just today but every day,” she told the crowd.
“The story of Chanukah is one that reminds us of perseverance through faith, and that the Jewish people will always persevere,” said Sanders. “No matter what is coming, no matter what is happening around them, when they hold fast to their traditions, when they hold fast to their faith, they will always defeat those who attempt to tear them down.”
“We know that no matter what comes your way, you will always stand strong,” Sanders told the crowd. “You will continue to be a light, not just to Arkansas but a light across our country, a light across our world.“
Rabbi Pinchas Ciment, co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Arkansas with his wife, Esther Hadassah, greeted the governor and guests, noting that the Little Rock menorah—the largest in the state— was being kindled for the 33d consecutive year. The rabbi then focused on the many children who turned out for the event. “Truly, it is most inspiring to see so many children here tonight,” said Ciment. “In fact, so much of the holiday revolves around the monumental efforts to nurture the inherent good within them and ensure it only gets stronger as they grow up.”
The rabbi noted that the root of the Hebrew word Chanukah is chinuch, which means “education.” Which is why,” he said, “the holiday is to us an opportunity to promote and support a loving, healthy and strong education of our youth.”
New York, N.Y.
Against the backdrop of the glittering Manhattan skyline, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York took part in the lighting of the world’s largest menorah on Fifth Avenue, a beacon of hope amid a year marked by the war in Israel and rising antisemtism around the world.
“Chanukah is a reminder of the strength, the resiliency and the ability to find light through darkness,” said the governor. “And if ever in our history in New York we have needed to find light after darkness, it is right now.”
“I want to make sure everyone knows that I’m working hard to keep you all safe,” said the governor. “We are making sure that everywhere you go to worship and celebrate this great holiday, that you will be safe because there is no room for hate in the great state of New York.”
After wishing the crowd a happy Chanukah, Hochul shared a surprising personal anecdote. The governor had received news of her father’s passing while she was preparing to leave for a trip to Israel following the brutal massacre by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Despite her personal loss, she spoke of her resolve to visit Israel in solidarity with the Jewish people.
“I went to the Wailing Wall [the Western Wall, or Kotel] the next morning [after my father’s passing], 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,” she shared. “All he wanted to do was go to Israel. He had been there just a few years earlier. He had gone to the Wailing Wall as well. So it was important for me to go.”
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, director of the Lubavitch Youth Organization noted that “the menorah will increase in light, growing brighter night after night, and serve 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. May the lights of Chanukah usher in the eternal lights of the great redemption.”
Buenos Aires, Argentina
On the eve of his inauguration, President Javier Milei of Argentina hosted a Chanukah menorah-lighting in his office on Saturday night, Dec. 9, attended by relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who was in the country for the inauguration, lit the menorah as rabbis from Chabad of Argentina and other representatives of the nation’s Jewish community looked on.
In his inaugural address on Sunday, Dec. 10, Milei spoke of the miracle of Chanukah and likened it to his own surprise victory in Argentina’s presidential election. Earlier in the day, Milei handed a menorah to Vladymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, after the two leaders greeted each other warmly outside Casa Rosada, the country’s government headquarters, in a handoff captured on the live TV broadcast of the ceremony. A few days before traveling to Argentina, Zelensky lit a menorah at the presidential palace in Kyiv.
Milei, who was raised a Roman Catholic, has not been shy about the inspiration he has gained from the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory— and his teachings. On Nov. 27, Milei flew to New York to pray at the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe.
Milei has frequently expressed a deep love and admiration for Judaism and the Jewish people, and has spoken about his reverence for the Rebbe in interviews during the campaign. In one interview with Argentinian TV last July, Milei noted that “I was recently in New York, and I even had the privilege of visiting the office of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,” and spoke about the Rebbe’s sichot (Torah discourses) and how he treasured a book of the Rebbe’s teachings.
Berlin, Germany
Wearing a black kippah and after speaking about antisemitism past and present, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz helped light Berlin’s public Chanukah menorah at the Brandenburg Gate on the first night of Chanukah, marking the first time in history that a German head of state attended a public-menorah lighting ceremony.
At a time when the Jewish people are facing rising antisemitism across Europe and grappling with the horrors of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel that left 1,200 Israelis murdered and 240 kidnapped by Hamas, the chancellor sent a powerful message of solidarity with Germany’s Jewish community, as well as Jews around the world.
Families of Israeli hostages being held captive in Gaza attended the ceremony as well as guests of Berlin’s Jewish community. The ceremony was broadcast live on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 9 a.m. (EST) and is available for later viewing on Chabad.org.
Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, the rabbi of the Jewish Community of Berlin, opened the event, welcoming the guests. Teichtal established Chabad-Lubavitch in Germany’s capital in 1996, and has been erecting the public menorah at the iconic Brandenburg Gate—it is Europe’s largest menorah—since 2003, this year marking two-decades since it first went up.
This year, exactly 85 years after Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”) the menorah lighting at Brandenburg Gate is an opportunity for Jewish people to spread light when they’ve been engulfed in darkness.
“This is the biggest answer to opposing the type of ideology Hitler wanted to spread,” said Teichtal. “Establishing a place where Jews are thriving and being successful proves that Hitler did not succeed in his mission.”
“It also tells the Jewish people that even when we’re in the midst of conflict, peace is possible. Faith in the Moshiach is the solution. Eighty-five years ago, Jews never would have thought we’d be standing in the center of Berlin proudly celebrating a holiday of Jewish victory,” said Teichtal. “We can be at our lowest and think that it can’t get worse, but we’re really only a step away from redemption.”
Kyiv, Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the start of Chanukah in the presidential palace in the capital city of Kyiv. Taking the wax shammash helper candle in his hands, Zelensky, who is Jewish, himself kindled the first lamp on the silver olive oil menorah. The president was joined by Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis representing Jewish communities large and small throughout Ukraine.
“A big thanks to all of you, and warm wishes on this holiday of light, Chanukah,” Zelensky said in Ukrainian. “This holiday, I believe, is about victory—the victory and strength of the spirit. I wish you, and all of us, the blessing of light, which is always on the side of those who choose life.”
Throughout war-torn Ukraine, Chabad’s network of hundreds of emissaries and volunteers are working to ensure that beleaguered residents are able to celebrate the “Festival of Lights.” More than 40,000 Chanukah kits filled with holiday supplies and special treats are being distributed to Jews in every city and village throughout Ukraine thanks to the work of the JRNU (Jewish Relief Network Ukraine), Chabad’s boots on the ground aid network in Ukraine. The kits include a menorah, candles, dreidels, a Chanukah book for children and chocolate gelt.
Burlington, Vt.
On a frigid December night in the town square of Burlington, Vt., U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders attended the public menorah-lighting in his home town on the first night of Chanukah, saying that “in these difficult and challenging times, it’s important that we come together to celebrate and to respect our traditions.”
After being introduced by Rabbi Yitzchok Raskin, who co-directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Vermont with his wife, Zeesy, Sanders alluded in his remarks to last attending a public menorah-lighting in Burlington 40 years earlier. As mayor of Burlington in the 1980s, Sanders publicly inaugurated the Chabad-Lubavitch Public Menorah at Burlington’s City Hall and later directed his administration to defend it in court, defying significant political pressure in doing so.
Sanders last lit a public menorah in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2019 while campaigning for president.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was given the honor of lighting shamash (helper) candle on the menorah on the fourth night of Chanukah at the annual Chanukah Festival hosted by Chabad of Greenfield, in suburban Pittsburgh.
According to Rabbi Yitzi Goldwasser, who directs Chabad of Greenfield with his wife, Miri, they aim to recognize someone who has contributed positively to the local and, sometimes, the global Jewish community every year.
Fetterman, the rabbi told Chabad.org, ticks both boxes.
“I’m sure everyone across the United States has noticed Sen. Fetterman’s unwavering support for the Jewish community and Israel, particularly since Oct. 7,” said Goldwasser. “Clearly, he sees what’s right and what’s wrong, and he’s standing up for what is right.”
Even before the senator was announced as the special guest menorah-lighter, there was buzz about this year’s program as people are struggling with the aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Israel. Said the rabbi: “People are saying they need to get out of their own homes and stand together as a community.”
There was plenty of food and music at the Chanukah celebration. Hot latkes and doughnuts were on the menu and the local Allderdice High School Marching Band performed. There were lots of activities for kids from crafts to a fire-truck gelt drop.
As for the senator, Goldwasser said that just the fact that he was willing to show up means a lot to the community. “His choosing to be here uplifts people and speaks volumes about his support.”
Hoboken, N.J.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Hoboken's Mayor Ravi Balla jointly lit the shamash (helper) candle outside Hoboken City Hall in celebration of the fourth night of Chanukah.
Rabbi Moshe and Shaindel Schapiro, co-directors of Chabad Jewish Center of Jersey City and Hoboken, welcomed the crowd to the center's 23 annual lighting. Speaking of the resilience of the Jewish people highlighted during the holiday, the rabbi noted that the ceremony came four years after the shooting in Jersey City on December 10, 2019, in which three civilians and a police officer were murdered in a antisemitic shooting at a kosher grocery store, and how the community has not only rebounded but thrived in the wake of the tragedy.
Two children from the local chabad Hebrew School recited Psalms for Israel, and Yan Moshe, CEO of Hudson Regional Hospital joined Schapiro to light the menorah.
Washington, D.C.
In a historic first, the Congressional leadership of both sides of the aisle joined on Tuesday, the sixth night of Chanukah, for the inaugural lighting of the U.S. Capitol Menorah.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) opened the event, speaking about the historic rise in antisemitism across the country since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. “It’s incumbent upon leaders to not only denounce antisemitism, but to counter it with love,” he said. “ … The last two months have proven that we have a long way to go in making the world a safer place for our Jewish brothers and sisters. But we must remember that the only way to drive out darkness is to overwhelm it with light.”
In his remarks the Speaker acknowledged the presence of Tomer Keshet, a relative of the Bibas family kidnapped by Hamas, including 4-year-old Ariel, and 11-month-old Kfir.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the nation’s highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker, said that lighting a menorah inside the Capitol building “reminds us of just how far the Jewish people have come in our long and winding history.”
He noted that this year, Chanukah comes “at a moment of grief, trial and fear for the Jewish people. Perhaps for that, it is all the more meaningful.”
The U.S. Capitol menorah lighting was organized by Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), who in his remarks noted that Schumer had loaned his personal menorah for the event.
Also present and sharing remarks were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
McConnell and Jeffries highlighted the need to secure the release of the more than 100 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. The leaders said they would not stop until every hostage was returned home.
The menorah, Shemtov explained, “is a symbol of the Jewish story of resilience, and America is the story of resilience… When we light the menorah, it is Jewish people keeping our faith, but it is a message [to be] shared with all of our fellow Americans and peoples around the world.”
New York, N.Y.
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Chicago, Ill.
Augusta, Maine
Duluth, Minn.
Jackson, Miss.
Montpelier, Vt.
Phoenix, Az.
St. Louis
Santa Fe, N.M.
Syracuse, N.Y.
Tidewater, Va.
Cardiff, Wales
Columbus, Ohio
Helena, Mont.
Jefferson City, Mo.
Tallahassee, Fla.
Topeka, Kan.
Moshe New, Noa Amouyal, Dovid Margolin and Yaakov Ort contributed to this article.
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