#Sharethelights with the Penn’s Lubavitch House this Hanukkah or light the menorah with President Amy Gutmann in Hillel.
As Hanukkah is well under way, Hillel and Penn’s Chabad Jewish community are both engaged in old traditions while starting new ones as well. On Tuesday, there will be a carved-ice menorah in front of Van Pelt Library, sponsored by Penn’s Chabad community. As a part of what has become a new tradition, the Penn Band will play Hanukkah songs as the candles are lit.
“We light the menorah in public spaces because we’re supposed to share the light and the miracle,” Lubavitch House Rabbi Levi Haskelevich said. “It’s something that we value, and we like to go where people are and celebrate with them rather than have them come to us.”
For the first time, the Lubavitch House is also running a raffle that utilizes social media to “share the light.” Penn students and staff are encouraged to take a picture lighting Hanukkah candles or giving out candles to friends and upload it to the Lubavitch House Facebook page with #sharethelights as a caption. Contestants will be entered to win two tickets worth up to $4,000 anywhere in the world.
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“The modern way of putting the menorah in your window is putting it in the window of your phone,” Haskelevich said.
Monday night, Hillel will sponsor its own Hanukkah event at its annual candle lighting with President Gutmann. Gutmann will arrive at around 5 p.m. to light the candles with everyone present. There will also be performances by Shabbatones, Hillel’s a cappella group, and the female comedy-troupe Bloomers. “It will be fun to have people there and have President Gutmann celebrate with the community,” Hillel President Josh Cooper said.
Last Wednesday night, members of the Lubavitch House greeted students as they made their way home for Thanksgiving.
Every year, the Lubavitch House puts up a menorah on 30th Street Station in partnership with Amtrak.
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Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, a 1979 Wharton graduate, lit the shamash, or the ninth and central candle of the menorah this year. He then shared a few words about his recent trip to Israel and the meaning of celebrating Hannukkah in a public space. Nutter was joined by Amtrak’s Vice President for Infrastructure and Investment Development Stephen Gardner at the event’s opening to a crowd of nearly 150 people.
According to Haskelevich, there were over 18,000 people passing in and out of the station on Wednesday. Student representatives from the Lubavitch House greeted people and lit the candles on the menorah while they sang blessings and songs.
Latkes were then distributed to symbolize the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. About 50 Hanukkah kits were also distributed to those who wanted to take home a menorah with candles.
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