On Dec. 26, a very special menorah will be lit in a public celebration of Chanukah organized by Chabad of Englewood at City Hall in downtown Englewood. The ceramic pieces covering the wooden menorah were once beautiful works of art made by Bilha Yinon of Netiv HaAsara, a moshav near Gaza. Bilha and her husband Yaakov were murdered on Oct. 7. Their home, including Bilha’s ceramics studio in the back of the house, was burned, leaving ceramic shards all over the yard.
The menorah project was initiated by Englewood and Tenafly Jewish communities who formed a coalition, with a liaison from each synagogue, to help the members of the moshav rebuild their lives. As part of the Englewood-Tenafly and Netiv HaAsara partnership, and the consent of the Yinon family, the ceramic shards were collected and sent to Englewood. The group reached out to Rabbi Daniel Alter, head of The Moriah School, to create the menorah. Under the direction of art teacher Gila Bretter, Moriah students built the menorah by attaching the ceramic shards to a wooden base. The menorah will commemorate Bilha, z”l and Yaakov Yinon, z”l and the other 18 members of Netiv HaAsara who were murdered on Oct. 7.
“This menorah also symbolizes the partnership of our communities,” said Elad Hibsher, who is a liaison with the moshav from Congregation Ahavath Torah. “During Chanukah, the menorah will be lit in synagogues throughout Englewood and Tenafly.”
“At this fraught time for the Jewish community, with war in Israel and American Jews facing a major rise in antisemitism, we are doing more to celebrate Chanukah with joy and Jewish pride,” said Rabbi Shmuel Konikov of the Chabad of Englewood. “The menorah and Chanukah represent freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and of the victory of good over evil.”
This special event will take place on Dec. 26 at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will feature a menorah lighting and an array of entertainment for all ages including a live DJ, Chanukah gelt drop, ice menorah carving, an LED juggling show, a performance by the Moriah choir and Judah Maccabee Chanukah giveaways, as well as hot drinks and a selection of delicious Chanukah latkes and doughnuts.
A special raffle will be drawn for four tickets to a Nets game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn followed by a meet-the-players sponsored by the Hazan family.
Throughout the state of New Jersey, Chabad-Lubavitch will be presenting dozens of Chanukah events and celebrations, including public menorah lightings, ice menorah displays, cartop menorah parades, community gatherings, giant dreidel houses, Chanukah wonderlands and more.
Chabad of Englewood To Shine With Jewish Pride This Chanukah
(Courtesy of Chabad of Englewood)
This year Chabad of Englewood will light a special menorah at its Englewood City Hall Chanukah Celebration. The menorah, being built by Moriah students, will be made from ceramic fragments salvaged from the destroyed home of artist Bilha Yinon, HY”D, who was killed along with her husband Yaakov, HY”D, in their home in Kibbutz Netiv HaAsara on October 7.
