Putin's rabbi lights first Hanukkah candle in Moscow's Revolution Square
On December 25, the ceremony of lighting the first Hanukkah candle took place in Moscow on Revolution Square.
The lighting of the Hanukkah menorah in the very center of the capital has already become a tradition. This event annually attracts not only members of the community, but also city residents and guests.
The Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar took part in the ceremony. He lit the first candle and addressed the congregation with a festive address:
"Today we light the Hanukkah candles in the central squares of Moscow for the 35th time. This holiday should be celebrated in such a way that the light of the candles can be seen by people all over the world. We need to spread the news of the miracle of Hanukkah so that this lesson reaches every person. Even one small Hanukkah candle works so that all the darkness that is in our hearts and around us disappears. This year, Hanukkah is celebrated on the eve of the New Year. This is the time when we can see the positive, new changes, hope. This holiday gives each of us peace, confidence that with G-d's help all problems will be left behind, that we will overcome all difficulties and see the light in the future."
The ceremony was hosted by the head of the public relations department of the FEOR, editor-in-chief of the publishing house "Knizhniki" Borukh Gorin:
“In the dark times, when the Temple was desecrated, a holiday appeared that gave us the light that we have been lighting for all these thousands of years. If then we lit the lamp only inside the Temple, now this light burns in millions of Jewish homes, in squares, on all continents, in completely different places and at completely different times. And nothing can extinguish this fire. It seems to us that we live in very dark times. And if it were not for this light, then maybe we could lose hope, we could say that the world is heading towards evil. Hanukkah is the best answer to this. The light depends on us. If you want to make the world brighter, light the light around you.”
The holiday of Hanukkah will last eight days. It began on the evening of Wednesday, December 25, 2024, and will end at nightfall on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Every evening, Hanukkah lights will be lit in homes, synagogues, and squares: each time the number of burning candles will increase. Hanukkah carries the idea of the victory of light over darkness, a reminder that much in the world depends on good deeds and solidarity between people.
Source: https://mjcc.ru/news/zazhiganie-na-ploshhadi-revolyutsii-fotogalereya/
