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Menorah lit at the Nashville Predators in Front of 16,457

NASHVILLE, TN [CHI] — On Moitzei Shabbos, Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel from the Chabad Center in Nashville, lit a Menorah for the 16,457 people at the Sommet Center stadium, as the Nashville Predators Hockey faced off against the New York Islanders.

As the fans streamed into the stadium, the ice was sparkling clear, the lights were sharp, and a nine foot Menorah stood on the bandstand. The spirit of Chanukah entered the hearts of the most spirited fans, as the first ever Jewish Heritage Night was hosted at the NHL Hockey team in Nashville Tennessee.

A few minutes before the games, the stadium lights dimmed, and a powerful spotlight illuminated the Menorah.

Rabbi Tiechtel welcomed the crowd and shared a Chanukah message filled with hockey lingo, and reminded the crowd, that as the Dreidel drops on Sunday night, everyone light their own Menorah, as the Festival of Lights begins.

On the jumbo-tron the lights of Chanukah shone, and from the speakers the melodies of the festival blared throughout the giant stadium. Then the players came out and the game began. Though there was a glint of blades on the ice, and the spray of snow in the air, the stadium was filled with the warmth and light of the Menorah.

To top it all off, the evening ended with a win for the Nashville Predators, and an amazing Kiddush Hashem and Pirsumei Nisa.

A special thank you goes to Rabbi Sholom Moshe Paltiel, shliach in Port Washington, NY, who lit the Menorah with the Islanders last year, and was an inspiration in making this event a reality.

Let the lights shine forth!

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12 Comments

  • l-chaim

    with the Rebbe’s help, the teichtel family are helping to make the world a better place.

  • Chaya England

    AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!
    MY TENNESSIANS!!!!! I AM SO PROUD!!!
    wishing y’all a very very happy Chanukah all the way from England!
    Love Chaya

  • dovid

    why does he light all the lights of the menorah???? its the first night??? the rebbe told off rabbi shemtov about this in the whitehouse 1976!!!
    chag sameach

  • to dovid

    Happy Chanukah Dovid,
    The reason all eight lights were lit is because it was just a preview to Chanukah. This game was played the night before Chanukah.It was a beautiful night igniting Jewish pride…out in the open…because we can!

  • Levy from Canada

    Beautiful. 16 thousand. Nice turnout for a Chanukah Function. Didn’t know you guys did Hockey!

  • Dovid

    ya to dr
    Go habs go is is right
    It would be beautiful for that to happen in montreal in the Bell Center
    (to win)LOL

    A freilichin chanuka

  • new jersey

    thats really nice i believe there was also a menorah lighting in new jersey at the devil game they had about 20,000 people there pretty amazing