WASHINGTON 鈥� Hundreds of people came from around the country to help celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of the National Menorah on the Ellipse on Sunday.
It鈥檚 a tradition less than 40 years old in the nation鈥檚 capital, just a blink of time compared to the thousands of years the Jewish holiday has been celebrated.
Daniel Igershein and his wife Dara, who live in the Bloomingdale section of D.C., brought their young son Bram here for the first time. But it sounds like this probably won鈥檛 be the last time they bring him.
鈥淲e wanted to come check it out,鈥� Dara said. 鈥淢y son loves Hanukkah and celebrating so we wanted to see them light the menorah.”
The event is hosted by the American Friends of Lubavitch. This year鈥檚 celebration included performances by the musical group 鈥�8th Day鈥� and Grammy-winning violinist Miri Ben Ari.
Rachel Tenenbaum of Miami was also here for the first time. To her, Hanukkah means 鈥渕iracles鈥� and that 鈥渁nything can happen.鈥�
鈥淚t was the small army defeated the big army,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd shows that there can be more miracles. And there has been throughout the history of Israel, and there will continue to be.鈥�
Echoing the sentiments that many of the event鈥檚 speakers expressed, Andrew Gaynor of Newark, Delaware, said Hanukkah is about the idea that 鈥渁 little light can dispel a lot of darkness.鈥�
鈥淪o in dark times it鈥檚 always important to add light and be a light,鈥� he said.
Undersecretary of the Treasury Adam Zubin was chosen to help light the giant candles on Sunday night. He said he was hopeful the sentiment behind Hanukkah would be an inspiration to others.
鈥淢y hope is that our lights steadily increase, until the world is illuminated by a continual and unwavering light.鈥�
