The silhouettes of state Sen. Jeffrey Klein, left, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov stand atop a hydraulic platform as they light the 23-foot menorah near the Riverdale Monument last Sunday to celebrate Hanukkah.
Aaron Mayorga
Rabbi Levi Shemtov celebrates with a raised fist to the crowd below after successfully lighting the sixth branch of the menorah on Sunday at the Riverdale Monument.
Aaron Mayorga
With the roundabout around the Riverdale Monument closed off to vehicles, crowds gathered underneath the menorah to witness the lighting, to mark the Hanukkah season.
Aaron Mayorga
After the menorah lighting, some in the crowd began to dance the horah, an Israeli folk dance.
Aaron Mayorga
At 23 feet, the menorah at the Riverdale Monument — which stands unlit during sunset on Sunday — is the largest in the Bronx, according to Rabbi Levi Shemtov of Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale.
Late on a Sunday afternoon, a rabbi, some politicians and Jewish congregants gathered around the Riverdale Monument to light their own monument, a 23-foot tall menorah created by Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale.
It’s an annual tradition hosted by Rabbi Levi Shemtov for the Hanukkah season, this year taking place last Sunday — the sixth day of the holiday.
While the menorah is quite big, it’s not the tallest. That distinction goes to the menorah that stands in Manhattan’s Midtown, climbing to 32 feet. And that’s a record that can’t be topped, because Jewish law typically prohibits anything taller than that.
Height regulations aside, the menorah at The Monument is a fixture of the community with good cheer and a wealth of dancing.
Keywords
Menorah,
Hanukkah,
Riverdale,
Rabbi Levi Shemtov,
Jeff Klein,
Jeffrey Dinowitz,
Aaron Mayorga