Special to the Reporter
To celebrate the Hanukkah season, Chabad Mercer Island will be carving a giant ice menorah at Mercerdale Park. The menorah, standing six feet tall, will be constructed entirely of ice blocks and will bring joy to Mercer Island’s Jewish community as they celebrate Hanukkah this year.
On Dec. 16, Chabad Mercer Island, which is dedicated to spreading Jewish awareness and education, will host this unique “Fire & Ice” ceremony. The event will begin at 5:15 p.m. and feature a live demonstration where onlookers can watch the intricacies of ice sculpting as the menorah takes shape, followed by a lighting ceremony that combines the chill of ice with the warmth of fire.
This year’s Hanukkah celebrations carry added significance as America approaches the 250th anniversary since its founding. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, taught that the menorah is a universal symbol of liberty and holds an important place in American life.
“People are preparing to celebrate with family and friends, to fill their homes with the light of Hanukkah, and there’s a palpable joy,” said Rabbi Nissan Kornfeld, director of Chabad Mercer Island. “Celebrating Hanukkah is a potent point of light, Jewish pride, and confidence for American Jews. The celebration underscores the G-d-endowed liberty that is at the heart of what America represents — especially meaningful as we approach our nation’s 250th anniversary.”
The large-scale public Hanukkah celebration returns to Mercer Island as record numbers of participants are expected to join Chabad Mercer Island’s lighting this year.
This year’s Hanukkah campaign will be one of unprecedented light, seeing Chabad reach millions of Jews in more than 100 countries. Mercer Island’s ice menorah is one of more than 15,000 large public menorahs throughout the world, including notable menorahs in front of the White House, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the St. Louis Arch, the Great Wall of China, and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
