At 1st Candle Lighting Adams Declares Brooklyn’s Menorah ‘Biggest’

A rocking concert kicked off Chanukah for hundreds of Brooklynites at Grand Army Plaza. Latkes and jelly doughnuts were distributed along with Menorah kits for those who didn’t have. Meanwhile Brooklyn’s Boro President joined in the fray of “whose Menorah is bigger?”

Chabad of Park Slope and Cong. Bnei Jacob, led by Rabbi Shimon Hecht, hosted Pay Daled for a lively concert ahead of the lighting of the first candle.

New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton and Brooklyn’s Boro President gave holiday greetings and welcomed everyone to “the world’s largest menorah,” with Adam’s adding “and I don’t care what they are saying there in Manhattan, Brooklyn has the biggest menorah!”

Adams was then honored with lighting the Shamash.

The Menorah is lit every weeknight at 6:00pm, Motzai Shabbos at 7:00pm and Friday at 3:30pm.

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Photos by JDN

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18 Comments

  • rabbi shatsburg

    Is this what lubavitch institutions teach??? That one must prove his friend “that MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS”?
    Its a beautiful thing to see the achdus at such an event, but when it comes to one sheliach, making his own “HAKHEL event” to out due the other sheliach’s “HAKHEL event”, that is pure disrespect.

    Dont preach UNITY and behave the opposite!

  • Ok

    For many years the one in Manhattan was the tallest. The last few years this one was erected to be the same size.

    Why are some people busy with petty things?!

  • to #2

    I agree with you 100% Tzach is actually taking the Hecht’s to a din Torah because they claim that theirs is the largest. can you think of anything more petty and ridiculous.

    They should focus on the rebbe’s work not this nonsense

  • K

    The biggest menorah is limited to 20 amos. So it boils down to the size of an amah according to which posek.

    Is Chabad measuring the 20 amos based on “Chazon Ish shiyurim”?

  • to #6

    i believe the author of #2 had something else in mind.
    not saying he was taking sides, but it looks like he was standing for the Manhattan side.
    p.s something more petty and ridiculous, is that they felt the need too anounce “I don’t care what they are saying there in Manhattan, Brooklyn has the biggest menorah!”

  • K

    Reminds me when I published my first sefer and another mechaber called me to boast that his sefer is larger than mine (by 7 pages).

    I told him, size doesn`t matter.

    Unless dealing with the smallest possible shiyur, then adding to the minimal shiyur IS a hiddur (see Tosfos Bava Kama 9b DH Ad: If one found a Kosher Esrog the size of a nut, like the Shi’ur that Chachamim fixed, and another a third bigger, he should buy the latter).

  • A tamim with a good voice for the yomim noroiem

    Rabbosai, This reminds me of the times many years ago, when we were bouchrim and would talk about the size of our esrogim, Vos iz dos noigaya? A esrig with a pittum has some thing that one with out dose not, now that being said, we must think deeply into this matter, and ask our selfs what are he fundamental differences in regards to the various different shapes and sizes of our menorahs, what i am afraid will come out is, sadly its seems more about kovid then mitzvahs ner Chanukah and persumai nissa. Why i came to said conclusion you may ask? the answer is more simple then spotting a apple in a pile of almonds, people simply like kovid money and respect, more then they believe act or preach right from wrong.

  • Rabbi Cohen (hence the generic name to anonymize)

    Um first of all I would to clarify is that the rebbes shluchim aren’t nispoel fun shapes sizes vichulu un nuch mer it states clearly you posted this comment at 8:54 pm isn’t that the time a buchour should be on mivtzoim? (I’m assuming your a buchour because only arrogant buchourim refer to themselves as “tmimim”)
    And thus I conclude that you are bistameh an angry teen maybe early 20’s buchour bored with nothing to do and my suggestion is to get your achoraiim up and ker a velt

    A freilichen chanuka

  • To #9

    Same idea with me
    I wrote a Sefer on the topic of gittin which was 7 pages long and another mechaber said his is better
    (His has 854 pgs.) but this particular mechaber is an apikoires so even though his has 854 pages (kamus) my 7 pages are better in aichus

    The same idea applies here even though one might be taller the other one has better latkes just saying

    • K

      7 pages is NOT a “sefer” – it is a kuntrus and gittin is not a “topic” or a sugya.

  • To #10

    I might want to hire you for yomim neoroim what’s your number

    Also on a scale from butmans menorah to hechts menorah how good is your voice

    Please respond

  • To #7

    Why do you say Chazzan ish shiurim do you really know your stuff

    To prove it maybe tell me what the Chazzan ish shiur for karpas at the Seder is

    • K

      Seems like you are celebrating the ness of “pach ha’mashke” – when mashke for one l’chaim gets you shikker for 8-days.

      That is certainly a reason to say whole Hallel.

      Which is a shira, sung by a Chazzan (an ish not a non-ish, bmokom sh’ain ish, hishtadel – use hishtadlus).

      Song comes in a seder or else it sounds like karpas.

    • K

      According to the Chazon Ish (and Nodeh B’Yehudah), the Amah is 24 inches (60.96 centimeters).

      According to Rav Chaim Noeh, the Amah is 18.90 inches (48 centimeters).

      While Rav Moshe Feinstein has the Amah at 21.25 inches (53.98 centimeters).

      The highest menorah is limited to 20 amos.

      According to Chazon Ish: 40 feet tall (480 inches)!!

      According to Rav Chaim Noeh: 31.5 feet (378 inches) or 8.5 feet shorter than the Chazon Ish shiyur!

      By adopting the Chazon Ish shiyur, the world’s biggest menorah can grow by 8.5 feet!!!

      There is room for growth!!!