15 Foot Tall Menorah To Debut This Chanukah
The Chabad of Wall Street and the Jewish Learning Experience are joining The Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) for their annual Chanukah on Ice event at the Ice Rink at the Seaport on Sunday, December 18. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 2:30 – 5:00 pm, on Seaport Square, adjacent to Pier 17, located at 89 South Street, New York, NY.
Families can celebrate the first night of Chanukah with ice skating, Chanukah-themed crafts, traditional treats like latkes and sufganiyot, live music from students of the FiDi Hebrew School, and the carving of a 7-foot-tall ice menorah. This year’s event will also debut a new menorah, on the north side of Pier 17 dedicated to honor Paul Hovitz for his years serving the community.
“Every year, Chanukah offers us the chance to bring the community together and kick off the holiday with food, music, and ice skating in an iconic city location,” said Saul Scherl, President of the New York Region at The Howard Hughes Corporation. “We are excited to once again partner with Rabbi Eber and the Chabad of Wall Street as we unveil a new menorah that will brighten the waterfront.”
The Seaport will unveil a 15-foot nautical-themed menorah designed by conceptual artist Yitzchok Moully on the Heineken Riverdeck on the north side of Pier 17. Dubbed The Pop Art Rabbi, Moully’s work distills ethereal Chassidic concepts into relatable works of art. Fabricated using stainless steel, the new menorah design is reminiscent of a sail – an homage to the Seaport’s storied history as a booming maritime trade destination during its time as the Port of New York. An additional menorah will also be placed on Fulton and Water Streets for the duration of Chanukah.
This year’s festivities and the new menorah are dedicated to Paul Hovitz for devoting his life to serving the Seaport community, his home of Southbridge Towers, Lower Manhattan, and New York City as a whole. A retired special education teacher of 35 years, Paul also served on Manhattan Community Board 1, where as chair of CB1’s Youth Committee, he spearheaded the development of eight new schools. Paul also stepped up as a civilian first responder on September 11, 2001, assisting in coordinating food, medication, and emergency communication, and continues to serve as a Board Member on the 9/11 Registry Advisory Committee. He is a resident of Southbridge Towers with his wife of 38 years, Denise Hovitz. His daughter, Helaina Hovitz Regal, is a journalist, editor and author.
The Ice Rink at the Seaport offers panoramic views of the city as well as the East River and Brooklyn. This year, the rink is also adorned with an overhead light installation called Aurora, which gives the feeling of skating under the Northern Lights. Designed by Ithaca Studio, the installation consists of more than 4,000 individually controlled overhead lights that are programmed to display color and light shows.
