The Bill Graham Menorah: Lighting it up since 1975!
Chanukah In Union Square Nov 27th – Dec 4th
This year the Festival of Lights burns brighter than ever!
Great guests and exciting events throughout Chanukah!
The 1st Lighting: Wed, Nov 27th
Lighting Ceremony at 5:00PM
W/ Andy David The Israeli Consul General &
Lori Starr The Executive Director of
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The 5th Lighting: Bill Graham Menorah Day Sun, Dec 1st
Lighting Ceremony 4:30PM
Participating in the Lighting:
Long Time Bill Graham Colleagues: Ray Etzler, Danny Scher, Bonnie Simmons, Brian Auger & Morty Wiggins
Musical performance by Glenn Hartman Klezmer Trio
Starting at 2:00 PM Chanukah Kids Crafts Activities &
Special Appearance by Frog
The 7th Lighting: Honoring George Zimmer Tue, Dec 3rd
Lighting Ceremony 5:30PM
Taking the Eternal Flame into the Future!
The Rabbi and The Robot: A very special Lighting!
Honoring our Dear Friend, a True Shamash, George Zimmer
(Yes, a real robot!)
Click Here for Facebook event Page
Lighting Schedule:
Wed, Nov 27 Opening Night! 1st Candle Lighting Ceremony at 5:00pm
Special Guests: Andy David The Israeli Consul General & Lori Starr The Executive Director of The Contemporary Jewish Museum
Thu, Nov 28 2nd Candle Lighting Ceremony at 5:00pm
Thanksgivingukah!
Fri, Nov 29 3rd Candle Lighting Ceremony at 3:00pm
Sat, Nov 30 4th Candle Lighting Ceremony at 7:00pm
There will be a procession of Vehicles with Menorah’s on them that will circle the Square, then, travel around San Francisco Spreading the Light. The procession will be lead by the Mitzvah Mobike!! Followed by the Mitzvah Cable Car, and more!!
Sun, Dec 1 5th Candle Lighting Ceremony at 4:30pm
Bill Graham Menorah Day!
Bill Graham Presents Alums to light the Menorah!
Music by The Glenn Hartman Klezmer Trio!
Chanukah Kids Crafts Activities Start at 2:00pm
Mon, Dec 2 6th Candle Lighting Ceremony at 5:00pm
Tue, Dec 3 7th Candle Lighting Ceremony at 5:30pm
Taking the Eternal Flame into the Future!
The Rabbi and The Robot: A very special Lighting!
Honoring our Dear Friend, a True Shamash, George Zimmer!
Wed, Dec 4 Grand Finale! 8th Candle Lighting Ceremony at 5:00pm
There is More!!!!
Westfield San Francisco Centre has partnered with the Bill Graham Menorah Project to host a grand menorah lighting on Wednesday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m. This Festival of Lights celebration marks the eighth and final day of Chanukah. The celebration will take place on Level 4 Under the Dome with Rabbi Moshe Langer of Chabad of Pacific Heights presiding. Open to the public and free of charge, the family-friendly gathering will include traditional treats, arts and crafts, dreidel spinning, and live performance by jewish blues performer Saul Kaye.
This year the official formation of the Bill Graham Menorah Shamash Society! Shamash means helper. For anyone that wants to be involved in helping to keep the Menorah lit, and spreading light in this world is welcome to join.
For details contact, Rabbi Yosef Langer 415-269-1994 [email protected] or Billy Cohen 415-753-0910; [email protected]
Join Rabbi Yosef Langer and Chabad of SF in lighting The Bill Graham Menorah and celebrating Chanukah in Union Square. This year is the 39th lighting of the Bill Graham Menorah. For many Jews and non-Jews alike, this beautiful tradition is an opportunity to share culture and rejoice in our freedom of religion in America. This year we have an amazing schedule of events for the Festival of Lights!
We are very honored by all the special guests who are coming down to participate in this year’s lightings. We are thrilled to have Isaac the Robot helping us to carry the flame into the future. We are excited to have a procession of vehicles with menorahs on them bringing Chanukah light around SF on Sat, Nov 30. We are proud that Rabbi Moshe is hosting an additional lighting on the 8th night at Westfield Centre. We are most profoundly happy to be able to honor our dear friend George Zimmer, who’s commitment and generosity has helped us to keep the Menorah lit for the past 18 years! George, we couldn’t do it without you!!!
December 1st is Bill Graham Menorah Day. When Chabad came to Bill and asked him to build a giant Menorah and light it every year in Union Square, Bill said yes. Though he underwrote the entire thing, he never looked for any accolades surrounding the Menorah. After his death, Rabbi Langer and Chabad wanted to honor his memory by dedicating the Menorah to his name. In 1993, Mayor Frank Jordan declared that every year the first Sunday of Chanukah would forever be Bill Graham Menorah Day.
In 1975, when this beautiful Menorah was first lit, it was the first time an outdoor, public Menorah lighting was celebrated outside of Israel. For many Russian Jewish immigrants, the Chanukah Celebration in Union Square was their first experience with being able to participate in their religion and culture. The Bill Graham Menorah has been a true beacon of the light of liberty! Now, there are thousands and thousands of similar celebrations world-wide. Our Menorah, The Mama Menorah, The Bill Graham Menorah, was the first and has inspired the rest.
One of the biggest mitzvahs of Chanukah is to have the light of the Menorah spread light into the streets. When you light the Menorah at home, you place the Menorah in the window, so, the light of the Menorah shines in the street. This was the inspiration years ago to build and light a stadium sized Menorah.
Joining us as we light the Menorah is the most important thing, but you can also help us to spread the light by telling people, Jews and Non-Jews, and, if you can, by giving a donation to the Bill Graham Menorah Fund. We'd like you to please give from the heart and help keep this marvelous mitzvah alive and keep it burning with the same spirit and inspiration that ignited this tradition 39 years ago when Chabad and Bill Graham built and first lit our Mama Menorah.
More info at: www.billgrahammenorah.org
