Six-foot menorah placed in Western Wall plaza as Jews prepare for Hanukkah holiday
With the Festival of Lights fast approaching, a traditional menorah was delivered to and placed in the Western Wall plaza on Tuesday morning.
Hanukkah, the holiday that celebrates the Jewish victory over the Greeks, begins on Dec. 18 at sundown - the 24th of the Hebrew month of Kislev on the Jewish calendar.
The menorah is made entirely of cast bronze and measures more than 2 meters (6.56 feet) high and 2 meters wide. It weighs about a ton and took roughly seven months to create.
During the eight days of Hanukkah, there will be a special communal candle lighting ceremony every evening at 4:30 p.m. at the Western Wall plaza in the presence of important rabbis and prominent members of the Israeli public. Each year, thousands flock to the area to take part in the illuminating experience.
On Friday, the lighting will take place at 3:40 p.m. before Shabbat. On Saturday night it will happen at 7 p.m., immediately following Shabbat.
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on the Western Wall cameras and on the Facebook page and website of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
Visitors can also take a tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City during Hanukkah and see the dozens of menorahs shining in residents’ windows.
.jpg)
Maayan Hoffman is a veteran American-Israeli journalist and strategic communications consultant. She is Deputy CEO - Strategy & Innovation for the Jerusalem Post, where she also served as news editor, head of strategy and senior health analyst.
