The story of Tucson’s tallest Menorah

By Libby Herz

On Sunday, November 28, the first night of Chanukah, Tucson’s tallest Menorah will be lit in a joyous ceremony for the 38th time. It will be one of more than 15,000 large public menorahs sponsored by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in more than 100 countries, helping children and adults of all walks of life discover and enjoy Chanukah.

Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, commemorates the Maccabees’ victory over the Syrian-Greek rulers who tried to force Jews to abandon the Torah and their faith in G-d. The Maccabees, a small group of learners turned warriors, won the war against the formidable Greek army against all odds.

Then, they returned to celebrate and praise G-d at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. To their horror, they found the Temple in shambles. The Greek soldiers had destroyed and defiled the Temple. The Jewish people got to work, fixing and cleaning and soon re-dedicated the Holy Temple by lighting the Menorah. The little pure olive oil they found miraculously lasted for eight days.

Today, public menorah lightings have become a Jewish tradition that celebrates the ability to practice Judaism proudly and publicly. Menorahs are lit all over the world in heart-warming ceremonies, including at the White House and government buildings and shopping malls and stadiums across the United States.

While Jews look forward to public menorah lightings each year, some recall a time when these public displays of Judaism were considered to be a controversial compromise of Church and State. headlines in the case of County of Allegheny v. ACLU. In this case, the County of Allegheny claimed that the public display violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Ultimately, after months of deliberation, six of the justices concluded that the menorah was constitutionally legitimate due to its universal message of freedom of the spirit.

“I certainly don’t think that the fears of those who argue that the Church-State Separation would be forever undermined by the putting of a Chanukah menorah on the streets turned out to be the case,” says Jonathan Sarna, Professor of American Jewish History of Brandeis University.

Moreover, as the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, wrote in a letter to the Jewish community in Teaneck, New Jersey, the menorah symbolizes a “universal message of freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and the ultimate victory of good over evil.”

Public menorah lightings now take place all over the world, including at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, in front of the Bank of China in Hong Kong, the Kremlin in Moscow’s Red Square and beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

In Tucson, Arizona, the very first public menorah lighting took place in 1983 at El Presidio Park in Downtown Tucson. The three acres of green space, a rose garden, veterans memorials and art installations is surrounded by the Old County Courthouse, City Hall of Tucson and the Pima County Administration.

“I was so new in town, I didn’t even know where El Presidio Park was,” says the Brooklyn-born Rabbi Yoseph Shemtov. He soon learned about the storied history of the plaza which was first used as a park in 1776 and later served as a

“I remember the first time the candles were lit,” says former Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, who was a young attorney and community activist at the time.

“I remember seeing a large group of Orthodox Jewish folks in long black robes and hats. People walked by and said, ‘What’s this?’ Rabbi Yossie called to them ‘Come over!’ The people came over, and it was so good to see. It’s the philosophy that Chabad puts out there that Judaism is very encompassing and welcoming.”

Years later, in 2011, Rothschild returned to light the menorah on the very first night of Chanukah, but this time, he was the Mayor of Tucson. “I was thrilled to see so many young people from around the country participating and enjoying Tucson outdoors, in December, singing and enjoying our Festival of Lights,” he says.

But like many public menorahs before, the Tucson public menorah lighting was threatened one year.

A few nights before Chanukah, Rabbi Shemtov received a phone call from an attorney from the Tucson Parks Department.

“Rabbi Shemtov,” he said, “You can no longer light the menorah at Presidio Park.”

The rabbi was bewildered.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Lighting a menorah is a religious display. Being that it is on public property, there is a clear breach of the separation of Church and State in the establishment clause,” said the attorney.

“But you erect a Christmas tree each year,” said the rabbi.

There was silence on the other line.

military garrison for the Spanish and American settlers.

Under Shemtov’s guidance, an architect drew up the plans for an impressive 13foot gold-colored candelabra made of thick steel branches. Shortly afterward, Shemtov acquired a permit for the menorah.

“Alright,” the attorney finally said, “but this year, the menorah must be erected in a different location.”

The Rabbi was filled with relief.

“But we won’t provide you with a scaffold,” said the attorney, referring to the scaffold erected by former Tucson Mayor George Miller.

The rabbi acquiesced.

“Additionally,” the attorney said, “the menorah must include a sign stating that it is owned and funded by a private organization.”

Comforted that the menorah could be lit legally, Shemtov agreed to the terms. And that Chanukah, the 13-foot menorah was lit on each of the eight nights of Chanukah.

Since then, many leaders from the Jewish communities in and around Tucson have lit the menorah.

“Every year, the downtown menorah has a uniqueness of its own,” Rabbi Shemtov says.

Each year, the lighting attracts people of all ages, drawing them to the Jewish traditions - and many for the first time. In the spirit of Chanukah, public menorahs have inspired countless Jews to learn about their Judaism and non-Jews to appreciate its timeless message. They enjoy the ceremony, the good food, and most of all, the chance to add light to the world.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Rabbi Yossie Shemtov light Chabad Tucson’s Menorah in Downtown Tucson, Chanukah 2011