Shearim: Chanukkah in Jerusalem

Monday, December 22, 2008

Chanukkah in Jerusalem

B"H

Chanukkah in Jerusalem is always very special. Seeing all the Chanukkiot standing in the windows and shining their light towards everyone ...

Yesterday, I walked around with a friend and first, we went to Zion Square where Chabad had a public candle lighting. Later on, we walked through Mea Shearim and had a delicious Latkes.

It was freezing cold while we were standing at Zion Square, right in front of the Ben Yehudah Mall, and waiting for Chabad to begin. The Chassidim announced that Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai from the Sephardi haredi SHASS party would be the guest of honour and light the first candle. In other words, we had to wait for a politician who cound't be on time.

Chabad set up its Chanukkiot at various places in Jerusalem such as Zion Square, King George or in front of Gan Sacher. Sometimes the Chanukkiot are so huge that an electronic ladder is needed in order to lift up the Rabbis to the candles.

Eventually Eli Yishai showed up accompanied by his boduguard. He was in a rush and in an extremely bad mood. No spirituality, nothing. Just rushing to the Chabadniks and lighting the candle.
People didn't applause and Yishai told us his excuse for being late: He had been to Sderot and visited its inhabitants who are being flooded with Kassam rockets from the Hamas in Gaza.
Eli Yishai's short speech became political but, fortunately, he dind't have much time and was in a hurry. The spectators weren't interested in him and only the Chabad Rabbi was sliming around.
The whole procedure only took a few minutes and we were quite fed up from all the waiting in the cold. Afterwards people ran for free Sufganiot (donuts) but, as we didn't want to get killed, we just left. We weren't in the mood of entering a battlefield in order to make our way to the Sufganiot.