3.I.L

New York City (NYC)
Chanukah Celebration

Chanukah, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated in New York with the lighting of the world’s largest Menorah. Designed by a renowned artist Yaacov Agam, it was inspired by drawings of the original Menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. The 32 foot tall gold colored steel structure has been certified by the McGinnis Book of Records as the world’s largest Menorah. It stands in Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue adjacent to Central Park. The Menorah is lighted on all evenings of Chanukah with genuine oil lamps, and specially designed glass chimneys protect the light from Central Park winds. Due to the height of the gigantic candelabra, it has to be lighted with the help of a Con Edison “cherry-picker” crane and two lifts that lift the lighters up.

The lighting of the world’s largest Chanukah Menorah is always a big event for millions of New Yorkers and visitors. It also receives broad media coverage, including local, national and international TV stations and radio channels.

Special celebrations are carried out throughout Chanukah at the world’s largest Menorah. They include live music, singing, dancing, “Chanukah gelt” chocolates for children, and distribution of hot “latkes” (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (holiday jelly doughnuts). It is an opportunity not to just experience the tradition, but to ‘taste’ it as well.

Sources:
USAToday/Travel/News/World-Largest-Menorah
About.com-Manhattan/HanukkahNewYork
PRNewswire.com