The first Chanukah that I spent in New York City was amazing. I met with three other friends who had also recently moved to the city. We decided that because we had not yet found a synagogue and had no money to go home , we would celebrate the holiday differently. We opted to go to Grand Army Plaza to see the world’s largest menorah be lit. We heard about the ceremony from some people we went to school with. the gathering was amazing. We were able to fellowship with others. The lighting is a fairly simple process, however it requires a cherry picker. The rabbi climbs in and is lifted to the top to light the menorah.There were people of all faiths who were in the crowd. A few people sang , one woman was even crying. It was touching because everything was in such a large scale. After the lighting ceremony, we walked and got hot tea. We snacked on the free chocolate gelt that had been handed out and went home. The experience was a different one than I had ever had on Chanukah, but it was a beautiful one. I would tell anyone , whether or not they are Jewish to see this tradition in person.
