Chabad’s teen network plans to light the menorah at a high-stakes match between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants on the first night of Hanukkah.
During the high-stakes Sunday football match between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants, which falls on the first night of Hanukkah, CTeen International and Chabad of Maryland are slated to orchestrate Sunday Night Football’s first-ever menorah lighting.
The December 18 game, which falls during America’s most-watched television slot, will determine which of the rival teams will head to the NFL playoffs. The game will take place at FedEx Field, just outside Washington, DC.
East Coast CTeen Chapters will be traveling to attend the game and be present for the historic moment. Meanwhile, the rabbis and rebbetzins of Chabad of Maryland are preparing a menorah parade to FedEx Field, a tailgate party outside the game, and pre-game distributions of Chanukah menorahs, latkes, and fresh jelly-laden doughnuts for Jewish fans.
Of the eighty thousand east-coast fans present at FedEx Field, an estimated ten thousand will be Jewish. “It’s a truly unprecedented opportunity to share the warmth and light of Hanukkah,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of CTeen International.
“It’s a truly unprecedented opportunity to share the warmth and light of Hanukkah.”
Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky
What is the significance of public menorah lightings?
The menorah lighting carries on a tradition initiated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the 1970s to celebrate Hanukkah through widely-viewed menorah lightings, which are meant to share the holiday’s message of the power of light over darkness.
Kotlarsky noted the timing of the event. “There are Jewish teens who are feeling uneasy lately,” he said, “to see a fellow teen light the menorah during a major football game will help them hold their heads high as proud Jews and be that little bit of light that illuminates the darkness.”
Source: JPOST
