Public menorahs are a staple of Chanukah all over the world. You can find one in famous locations such as the White House lawn and the Eifel Tower to the most remote places where handfuls of Jewish travelers frequent during the season.
El Paso has menorah displays in over a half-dozen locations, including the El Paso International Airport, San Jacinto Plaza, West Towne Marketplace, The Shoppes at Solana, Cielo Vista Mall, and University Medical Center.
It was not always this way. The mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lights is meant to be done in your home, with oil and wicks or candles. In 1973 the Rebbe launched the Chanukah campaign to publicize the observance and message of Chanukah to the world. The next year a menorah was lit in front of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and public menorahs have sprouted everywhere since then, numbering over 15,000 around the globe today. They are not meant to replace the private menorah lighting at home. Rather, they serve as symbols of the universal Chanukah message for all and welcoming beacons for all Jews.
While most welcomed and appreciated this new development in Jewish public pride and representation, some Jewish organizations frowned upon it and fought against it in the early days. I recently saw an internal memo written by the Rebbe to a Chabad rabbi facing stiff resistance to the public menorah, advising him to find a quiet and diplomatic way to influence the naysayers to stop their fight. Here is a rough translation of one of the talking points. Certainly, they wish to stop assimilation among the Jewish youth, etc. For the time being, lighting menorahs in public is the only way to inspire them [to remain connected and engaged in Judaism].
By now everyone admits that public menorahs are a positive and crucial part of the Chanukah culture and Jewish life in general, and there are countless stories of how the public menorahs brought Jews back to their Jewish roots. The reason for this is that the menorah represents the miracle of the oil. When the Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem they found only one jar of ritually pure olive oil to rededicate the service of lighting the menorah. They lit up the menorah and that small amount of oil burned for eight nights until they could replenish the supply.
Although the Chanukah story includes dramatic stories of bravery and victory, the enduring symbol of the holiday is the “single jar of oil.” Oil is unique in that it never mixes with other liquids, and when placed on a surface, it permeates it entirely. The same is true about the Jewish soul which can never be diluted or completely extinguished, and - when awakened - impacts every aspect of life. Every Jew has an internal “single jar of ritually pure olive oil.”
The public menorah serves as the ultimate trigger for the Jewish soul. No matter how latent or dormant it may be, when confronted with the symbol of the “single jar of oil” its own internal “jar of oil” is awakened and drawn back to its source.
The ultimate Chanukah miracle.