A Ground Zero Chanukah

Tuesday, December 11, 2001. Second night of Chanukah. Exactly three months after two airplanes ripped into the World Trade Center, sending the world into a state of turmoil. The Maccabees lit the Menorah in the Holy Temple after conquering the Greeks who tried to destroy them. It sent a message out to the world that Light will triumph over Darkness. Likewise, the Menorah was lit at Ground Zero every night of Chanukah 2001. Even amidst the darkness, its lights sent a beacon of hope to the world at large.

Chanukah in Baghdad


Monday, December 26, 2005. First night of Chanukah. After months of serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, soldiers and officers in the US Army proudly lit the Menorah in the former palace of Saddam Hussein.
The brilliant lights of the Menorah, and the blessings of peace and freedom that come with it, were a spectacular military victory, truly banishing the darkness!