“Luminaries” by LAB at The Rockwell Group

In honor of the celebration of Hanukkah, we thought it festive to share the lanterns at Brookfield Place! The display titled “Luminaries” was created by LAB at Rockwell Group, a design studio focused on creating “memorable and evocative experiences by merging story, architecture, and technology.” Unlike other light shows, spectators are able to control the colors of the lanterns themselves or they can sit back and observe one of the scheduled light shows. Located in the Winter Garden in Brookfield place, this display is available to enjoy throughout the holiday season until January 6!

Holidays in Miami

As people around the world celebrate Hanukkah, menorahs are lit daily. For over twenty years, Miami Beach artist Roger Abramson’s (@roger.abramson) Menorah and Dreidel made entirely of seashells have become a staple to celebrate the Festival of Lights on iconic Lincoln Road in South Beach. These beautiful sculptures are made up of seashells collected by the artist, who notes his art “represents respect, freedom, family and democracy.”

Happy Hanukkah!

World’s Largest Menorah

This week, people around the world are celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, by lighting menorahs. Most menorahs are small enough to fit on a table or a windowsill, but New York City is home to two of the world’s largest menorahs! One is at the southeast corner of Central Park in Manhattan, and the other is in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Both menorahs are 32 feet tall, the maximum size allowed by Jewish law, so there has been a friendly rivalry between the two sites for decades. The Guinness Book of World Records gave the honor of the record to the Central Park menorah back in 2006, even though the Brooklyn menorah is actually a few inches taller. The lighting of the Central Park menorah on the first night of Hanukkah was celebrated with music, dancing, and a parade of cars driving up Sixth Avenue.

Happy Chanukah!

Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, New York.

Last night I visited the World's Largest Menorah at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, just north of Prospect Park. At thirty-two feet tall (the maximum allowed by Jewish law), this Menorah, sponsored by the Chabad in Brooklyn, has been a yearly tradition in Grand Army Plaza since 1985. With assistance from a Con Edison cherry-picker, Rabbi Shimon Hecht is joined by community leaders, philanthropists, and special guests in the lighting ceremony. Every night the celebration is accompanied with live music and hot latkes for all, and special gifts are distributed to every child.