The first public menorah was lit at Independence Mall in Philadelphia 50 years ago. Today, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement erects some 15,000 giant Chanukah menorahs on public squares acround the world. In this 1976 photo, the Philadelphia menorah towers over Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, bottom left. The menorah that year was a part of the city's Bicentennial celebrations. Lubavitcher Center of Philadelphia
Born in Philly, the Public Menorah Turns 50
So was born, 50 years ago, the public menorah. Today, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement erects some 15,000 giant Chanukah menorahs on public squares from Washington, D.C., to Vienna, to Melbourne.
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