Paris – Just weeks after Paris saw some of its darkest days, an estimated 6,000 people gathered to add some much-needed light to the city on Sunday by lighting the menorah at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
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The annual menorah lighting celebration is a decades old French tradition, and is organized annually by the Chabad in Paris.
“Hannuka celebrates the freedom of expression, both individually and collectively. It demonstrates the superiority of light over darkness, of right over might, of hope over fear,” said an official at the ceremony.
Among those who attend were Hollywood actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger who tweeted ‘Happy Hanukkah from Paris! Light will always overcome darkness,’ alongside a photo of the event.
The Mitzvah of publicizing the miracles of Hanukkah is for us to internalize them, not to publicize them in public spaces, especially in the Diaspora – even if the ostensible purpose is to ‘teach the world’ morality.
Too much show causes the substance to be lost.
Agree, #1 , even if you are using a fanciful and untruthful handle.
Chanukah was never supposed to be a theater, especially in golus. As for that theatrical performance inspiring secular Jews to observe Chanukah, I can just as successfully build an argument that, having witnessed that spectacle, most of them will conclude that they are already “yoitze.”