9-foot menorah to light up Elgin as part of world's largest Hanukkah observance

Chabad Jewish Center of Elgin will ignite a public 9-foot menorah erected at Gail Borden Public Library, followed by a communitywide celebration on the first night of Hanukkah, which falls out on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The ceremony will be attended by Mayor David Kaptain and other city officials. After the outdoor menorah lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m., participants will go indoors for a Hanukkah celebration including traditional latkes, doughnuts, a salad bar, and arts and crafts for children. The party will feature Magic by Randy, an award-winning comedy magician.

The public menorah lighting was organized by Rabbi Mendel Shemtov of Chabad Jewish Center of Elgin, who remarked, "The menorah serves as a symbol of Elgin's dedication to preserve and encourage the right and liberty of all its citizens to worship G-D freely, openly, and with pride. Specifically in America, a nation that was founded upon and vigorously protects the right of every person to practice his or her religion free from restraint and persecution, the menorah takes on profound significance, embodying both religious and constitutional principles."

Elgin's menorah is one of thousands of large public menorahs sponsored by Chabad throughout the world, helping children and adults of all walks of life discover and enjoy the holiday message.

Throughout the state of Illinois, Chabad will be presenting scores of Hanukkah events and celebrations, including public menorah lightings, giant menorahs made out of ice and Legos, Menorah Parades, latkes parties, Giant Dreidel Houses, "Hanukkah Wonderlands" and more.

To find a local event in Illinois or practically anywhere throughout the world, visit www.Chabad.org/ChanukahEvents. For more information about Hanukkah and a local schedule of events visit elginchabad.com/Chanukah2014.

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, recalls the victory more than 2,100 years ago of a militarily weak but spiritually strong Jewish people who defeated a ruthless enemy that had overrun ancient Israel and sought to impose restrictions on the Jewish way of life, prohibit religious freedom and force the Jewish people to accept a foreign religion. During the occupation of Jerusalem and the Temple, the Syrian Greeks desecrated and defiled the oils prepared for the lighting of the Menorah, which was part of the daily service in the temple. Upon recapturing the Temple from the Syrian Greeks, the Jewish people found only one jar of undefiled oil, enough to burn only one day, but it lasted miraculously for eight days until new, pure olive oil was produced. In commemoration of this event, the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting an eight-branched candelabra known as a Menorah. The Menorah is placed in highly-visible place to publicize the miracle, with its message of hope and religious freedom, to all. Today, people of all faiths consider the Hanukkah holiday as a symbol and message of the triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness.

Chabad Jewish Center of Elgin offers Jewish education, outreach and social service programming for families and individuals of all ages, backgrounds and affiliations.

For more information, contact Rabbi Mendel Shemtov of Chabad Jewish Center of Elgin at (847) 440-4486 and rabbi@elginchabad.com or visit www.elginchabad.com.