Menorah Lighting at City Hall
12/13/2007:
Since I was unable to attend the Menorah lighting at City Hall, a reader was kind enough to send some pictures in, as well as a story from lubavitch.com.
Gov. Corzine Celebrates Chanukah With Hoboken’s Jews
Miracles were on NJ Gov. Jon Corzine’s mind when he kindled Chabad of Hoboken’s 6-foot tall menorah at City Hall before a crowd of 300 on Sunday.
“Miracles do happen in this world when we pray, when we are faithful,” said Gov. Corzine, who survived a near fatal car crash eight months ago. He proved his point by dancing an impromptu ‘hora’ with Chabad of Hoboken’s Rabbi Moshe Schapiro. Hoboken mayor David Roberts and city council members took part in the event.
The eight-day Jewish festival of light that celebrates the miraculous triumph of light over darkness came to close on Tuesday night. On the first night of Chanukah, Corzine lit a Chabad-sponsored menorah in Trenton, NJ.
More pics and the rest of the story after the jump.
Manhattan lawyer Vitaly Zurkovsky has attended Chabad’s menorah lighting since he moved to Hoboken in 2002. Seeing Corzine at the lighting was moving and “surreal,” Zurkovsky said.
“To see the governor of New Jersey take time out to attend a menorah lighting in his hometown and in the rabbi’s home for Shabbat dinner brings out a lot of Jewish pride,” Zurkovsky told Lubavitch.com.
Gov. Corzine’s first attended Chabad of Hoboken’s menorah lighting in his Senate days. He has dined at the Schapiro home on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Corzine also joined the rabbi and his wife Shaindel Schapiro in their home for Shabbat dinner.
The Schapiro’s work with Hoboken’s 5000 Jewish residents began in 2001. Their festive holiday gatherings, including Simchat Torah that takes the celebration out into the street, attract a growing number of young professionals.
“The amazing thing about my experience with the Schapiros is that they treat people equally,” said Zurkovsky. “They treat students as important members of society, and politicians as friends. They don’t hold back.”
12/9/2007:
Hoboken’s annual Menorah lighting will be held on tonight (Sunday, December 9th) at 5 pm outside City Hall. The event will be officiated by Rabbi Schapiro.
Governor Jon Corzine and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez should be there along with Mayor Roberts.
December 9th, 2007 |
Shouldn’t it be a holiday candelabra lighting?
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December 9th, 2007 |
Ha! Good one.
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December 9th, 2007 |
I no expert on religions but isn’t the first night of hunnukkah when you hold the lighting of the menorah ceremony not when it is convient.
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December 9th, 2007 |
I don’t know the rules for public events. But I do know from living in a Jewish house hold that you light the candles every night. That the prayer is different on the first night. I can sing the first line of the first night prayer just from memory of hearing.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061217135112AAZo7Rs
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December 9th, 2007 |
Darn you mean that some of us missed an opportunity to heckle Menendez tonight?
Does anyone know a good Shamnesty song in Hebrew?
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December 9th, 2007 |
I love the PEZ menorah.
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December 10th, 2007 |
Oh, I’m sorry… Did I miss the Christmas Tree lighting? When was that?
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December 13th, 2007 |
Re: post #7, I’m waiting for the nativity scene. Oh, wait, we can’t have a Christian religious symbol on public property. What was I thinking? We can only display symbols of acceptable religions.
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December 13th, 2007 |
I don’t understand why this religious even is allowed to take place but there can’t be a manger.
I’m agnostic personally, but that is just not fair, if you’re going to allow for one, you have to allow for all.
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December 13th, 2007 |
There is a giant nativity scene right in front of City HAll, next to the manorah, next to the two christmas trees, under the santa and sleigh pulled by rudolph.
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December 13th, 2007 |
Okay we just need something for the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Kwanza people, and we’ll have it covered.
In response to Foster who said:
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December 13th, 2007 |
In response to Beejay who said:
You forgot Festivus, for the rest of us!
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December 14th, 2007 |
for the Muslims? the religion of peace? i’m not sure, what would their symbol be?
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December 14th, 2007 |
To all my Democrat friends: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To all my Republican friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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December 14th, 2007 |
In response to MF who said:
that is very funny
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December 14th, 2007 |
In response to Foster who said:
My bad, I shouldn’t have assumed based on taxed’s post.
Jesus Chris tax_to_death, what are you griping about?
Well as far as I am concerned, unless you have a holiday this time of year, there’s no need for an Islamic Chia patch or a Buddist meditation shrubbery.
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December 14th, 2007 |
In response to winesnob who said:
I think I’m going to use this as the text for my Christmas card – with your permission, of course.
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