Chabad of the Bluegrass to light 10-foot menorah to kick off holiday season

Will light a public 10-foot Chanukah menorah at the Lexington Government Center, on Nov. 28

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – Chabad of The Bluegrass will be joined by Mayor Linda Gorton to light a public 10-foot Chanukah menorah at the Lexington Government Center, on Nov. 28, the first night of the eight-day holiday. This annual ceremony will kick off a week of festivities all across the commonwealth.

“The menorah serves as a symbol of light and hope for us today, as it did for generations before us,” said Rabbi Shlomo Litvin. “The flames of the menorah shine out into the night, reminding us that even when confronted with much darkness, a tiny light can dispel it all. Another act of goodness and kindness, another act of light, can make all the difference.”

The Menorah Lighting with Mayor Gorton kicks off a Lighting each day of Chanukah, across the commonwealth, including Menorahs at the University of Kentucky, Triangle Park, Summit at Fritz Farms, and the Chabad at UK Jewish Student Center. Goverment Officals will also light Menorahs in Covington, Richmond, Shelbyville, Somerset, Georgetown and Versailles. Each event will feature a local leader joined by the Rabbi in celebration of Chanukah and the Message of light. For more information on any of these events, please call (859) 813-0770.

The menorah lighting is part of the worldwide Chanukkah campaign launched by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, in 1973. The campaign highlights and encourages the central theme of the holiday—publicizing the story of the Chanukah miracle and the victory of light over darkness, a message of hope greatly needed today. In the decades since the Rebbe’s Chanukkah awareness campaign began it has revitalized widespread observance of the Festival of Lights and brought it to the mainstream, returning what some have mistakenly dismissed as a minor holiday to its roots as a public proclamation of the ultimate triumph of freedom over oppression.

This year’s global campaign will see Chabad reach 8 million Jews in more than 100 countries. With safety measures limiting many in-person gatherings, Chabad will erect some 15,000 large public menorahs, which will be seen by millions on streets and public squares around the world, including in front of landmarks such as the White House, the Eiffel Tower and the Kremlin.

With many events curtailed, others opting for a drive-in model and many people isolating, Chabad will help families bring the light and celebration of Hanukkah into their homes and will distribute approximately 32 million Chanukah candles, more than 700,000 menorah kits, 350,000 family at-home Chanukah kits and 2.5 million holiday guides in 17 languages.

To find a local event in Kentucky, or practically anywhere throughout the world, visit the international Hanukkah event directory at www.Chabad.org/HanukkahEvents.

For more information about Hanukkah and a local schedule of events visit Chabad.org/Hanukkah