Bipartisan Menorah Lighting in US Capitol - 2024
Description
A bipartisan ceremonial Menorah lighting was held in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming holiday of Chanukah. It was led by Chabad Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), who was flanked by his wife Nechama and children Rabbis Menachem and Eli Shemtov. Headlining the lighting were House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican-LA), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat-NY), and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat-NY). Jeffries said, “The story of Hanukkah is one of resilience in the face of adversity, hope in the face of oppression, and light in the face of despair.” Also, all three leaders spoke about the rise in antisemitism in the United States following the Hamas-led war on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Menorah they symbolically lit was made of shrapnel from rockets shot down by the Israel Defense Forces and smelted together by an Israeli artisan. “I’m very grateful for that symbolic gift, not only because it’s my first menorah, but because when you look at it, you’re reminded of the true meaning of Hanukkah,” Johnson said. “That in the face of darkness, light bursts forth, and in the presence of fear, miracles emerge, and in moments of despair, hope springs eternal.”