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1. Philadelphia
This Chanukah marks exactly 50 years since five young Chabad rabbis schlepped a hastily constructed wooden menorah onto Independence Mall in Philadelphia and conducted the first public menorah lighting—a tradition that now sees 15,000 public menorahs erected and lit in every corner of the globe annually. On Saturday night, after Shabbat, Philadelphia’s Jews will meet for a car menorah parade, culminating with the now historic lighting at Independence Mall.
2. Saudi Arabia
When Sofya and Sasha Tamarkin realized that the last night of their visit to Saudi Arabia would coincide with the first night of Chanukah, they made sure to pack a menorah. Together with their Jewish tour group—speaking 10 different languages and from all different backgrounds—they proudly lit the menorah in a public square in the famed King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.
3. South Pole
When Elliot Weintraub—an adventurous alum of the Chabad Student Center at UAlbany—planned his visit to the South Pole, not only did he bring (and wrap) his tefillin in -30°F temperatures (with a real-feel of -66°F!), he brought his menorah too, bringing spiritual warmth to the coldest of places.
4. New York City
New York City boasts the world’s largest kosher menorah—32 feet tall and weighing 4,000 lbs, supported by a 28-foot-wide casing—which is lit every night of Chanukah. Strategically erected on Fifth Avenue across from the Plaza Hotel, it’s estimated that over 300,000 pedestrians pass the menorah each Chanukah, not to mention those in cars, bikes, buses, or taxis.
5. Berlin
On Sunday night, the fifth night of Chanukah, the Jewish community of Berlin will gather to light Europe’s largest menorah at the iconic Brandenburg Gate—once a symbol of Nazi power. “Chanukah at the Brandenburg Gate is a symbol that light is stronger than darkness,” says Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, who has erected the menorah every year since 2003—now one of 50 that Chabad sets up across the city.
6. Gaza
Thousands of young Jewish men and women in the Israel Defense Forces gathered to kindle Chanukah menorahs on the frontlines of the war in Gaza—and like 300,000 of their peers at bases and outposts from Metula to Eilat—prayed from the depth of their hearts for the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil, and for the same miraculous providence that G‑d showed their ancestors more than 2,000 years ago.
“Wherever there are soldiers—at every base and at every outpost—Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries are there with the menorahs, the doughnuts, and especially, with simchah (‘joy’),” said Rabbi Levi Mendelsohn, who coordinates activities for the Chabad Youth Organization of Israel’s United Front, directed by Rabbi Joseph Aharonov. “Our goal is for every soldier to experience the light of Chanukah.”
Pray for the return of the hostages and the safety of our solidders
7. Amsterdam
Just seven weeks after hundreds of Jews and supporters of the Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv were chased, attacked and beaten on the streets of downtown Amsterdam in a pre-planned attack, the Jewish community will gather for its annual public menorah lighting at Dam Square on the fifth night of Chanukah, making it clear that Jewish life will continue to thrive proudly and openly in the Netherlands.
8. Washington, DC
Attended by 5,000, broadcast by 1,800 television networks, and viewed virtually by tens of millions, the annual lighting of the National Menorah took place on the first night of Chanukah on “The Ellipse” just south of the White House—a well-known landmark where government officials and staff host prominent events throughout the year.
9. Kyiv, Ukraine
Battered by three years of war, the Jewish Community of Kyiv created a unique menorah to show that even the darkest of darkness can be transformed into the brightest light that warms and brings goodness into the world. The base was forged using metal from rocket debris found at the “Pearl” Jewish school which was attacked two months ago. The candles are made from shell casings provided by Jewish soldiers on the frontlines, and holding up the candles are nine figures holding hands, supporting one another—a testament to the community’s resilience. To ensure everyone would be able to celebrate the holiday, bags of groceries were distributed to all attendees.
10. Munich
Every year, a giant menorah is lit outside of Munich’s Chabad center. The center, a bustling bevy of Jewish life, happens to sit directly opposite Prinzregentenplatz 16 in Munich’s Bogenhausen district, which is where Hitler lived after 1929, transforming a site of darkness into one of light and Jewish life.
