Brooklyn’s biggest menorah will be lit Sunday for Hanukkah

Sunday's lighting kicks off Hanukkah season.

December 20, 2019 Meaghan McGoldrick

Photo: Edwin J. Torres/ Mayoral Photo Office

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Brooklyn’s biggest menorah will have its shining moment this weekend, as the borough comes together to mark the start of another Hanukkah season in Brooklyn.

The humongous menorah, which sets up shop at Grand Army Plaza for the full eight days of Hanukkah, has been towering over New York City since 1985, according to its website. It stands at 32 feet tall, according to 6SqFt, the maximum height allowed by Jewish law.

The Brooklyn menorah, built by Rabbi Shimon Hecht in 1984, shares the title of “World’s Largest Menorah” with another one on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue at the southeastern corner of Central Park.

The first of the Grand Army Plaza menorah’s eight candles will be lit this Sunday by a special guest: U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer. The lighting, hosted by the Chabad of Park Slope, will coincide with a special kickoff celebration beginning at 4 p.m. sharp. The Sunday evening shindig will feature a musical performance by Jewish artist Yehuda Greene, as well as hot latkes and gifts for children.

There will be lightings each night for the duration of the holiday:

On weeknights, the menorah will be lit at 6 p.m.
On Friday, Dec. 27, it will be lit at 3:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Dec. 28, it will be lit at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Dec. 29, it will be lit at 5:30 p.m.

Each night’s celebrations are free and open to the public.

If Lego blocks are more your style, there will also be a menorah lighting on Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill on Sunday, where Rabbi Simcha Weinstein of the strip’s Hadas Gallery and Synagogue will lead the illuminating of a seven-foot menorah made entirely of Legos.

The menorah, Rabbi Weinstein told the Brooklyn Eagle, was built by students at Pratt Institute. “It represents the community coming together to build a brighter future,” he said.

There will also be public lightings in Brooklyn Heights and at the Old Stone House at Washington Park.

Think we missed a one? E-mail [email protected] to let us know.