Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with a delegation of rabbis in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, to light the first Hanukkah candle (Hannukah). On the eve of the Jewish holiday, Kiev unveiled Europe’s largest menorah to celebrate the festival of lights.
jewish religious holiday Janucaalso known as festival of lightsIt officially started on Wednesday night. This year, the holiday falls on Christmas Day for the fifth time since 1900.
Hanukkah (Hanukkah) means “votive” and The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple in the 2nd century BC.After a small group of Jewish warriors liberated the place from occupying forces.
The festival lasts eight daysBecause the Jewish warriors lit the menorah with a small amount of ritually pure oil they found in the temple, and it remained lit for eight days. Now, for eight consecutive nights, Jews around the world celebrate the holiday and gather with family and friends. Light a candle in the menorah every night.
The lighting of candles must occur after darkBecause the purpose of this application is to bring light to the darkness. Nightly candle lighting ritual cooking food in oilLike the potato pancakes known as “latkes,” they commemorate this miraculously long-lasting oil. Holiday dates are based on the Hebrew month of KislevIt usually falls between November and December in the Gregorian calendar.
Hanukkah celebrations in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with a delegation of rabbis on Wednesday. The President of Ukraine also attended the ceremony The candle lighting session is led by Dnipro Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky.
“The war between light and darkness continues. Thanks to you, we see that the axis of evil has weakened and we will defeat it soon. We will light these candles and hope and pray that God Almighty will help us. Kaminetsky addressed Zelensky and said, “Everyone will see great miracles soon.” he said. Zelenskyy congratulated the Jewish community on the holiday He thanked them for their prayers for Ukraine and Ukrainians.
In a statement made to the public by the Presidency of Ukraine, Zelensky said: “Thank you for being in Ukraine and supporting everyone. We have a unique country: today we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. “It’s good that we can all live together in Ukraine, fighting against the darkness with the light we have.”
So was Zelensky Responsible for lighting the first candle of the menorah. He stated that the menorah used in the ceremony was given to him by Argentine President Javier Milei last year and that he inaugurated it on the fourth day of Hanukkah in 2023. Ukraine also celebrated this event by establishing the largest Hanukkah in Europe during the popular Independence period. Square in Kiev.
Germany
Germany also celebrated the Jewish holiday in style. A giant menorah was erected in front of Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate on Monday.
“This year we are united. And this year we also want to send the message that unfortunately we have not forgotten the hostages. Still hidden in the dark tunnels of Hamas. And we hope that when we light the candle at 16:00 next Sunday, December 29, the hostages will already be free,” said Yehuda Teichtal, rabbi of the Berlin Jewish community.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz participating in candle lighting ceremonies For the past two years, he has posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate with the German Jewish community.
“The Hanukkah menorahs of our cities They represent hope in dark times“said Scholz. “It stands next to a Christmas tree at the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin. I rejoice in this symbol: Judaism is a solid and irreplaceable part of us. Have a nice holiday everyone.”
