Hanukkah Lamps in the Streets of Bnei-Brak (Tel Aviv) #Hanukkiah

photographs by Nino Shaye Weiss

“PIRSUMEI Nisa,” which translates to “publicizing the miracle,” is the guiding principle of many practices on Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, Hanukkah is a holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt. During the eight days of Hanukkah, the ritual lighting of the menorah, a unique nine-branched candelabrum, is done to “publicize the miracle.” The miracle, according to tradition, happened after the Jews won against the Seleucid Empire. They needed to rededicate the Temple, but they found only one flask of kosher oil left for the menorah in the Temple, with just enough oil to burn for one day. But a miracle occurred and it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah.

To make the miracle really public, some are of the opinion that the Hanukkah lamps must be on public display, visible to the passerby in the street. It so happens that these pictures of shining Hanukkah lamps are void of people, save the eyes of the viewer. All photos were taken in the streets of Bnei Brak, a suburb of Tel Aviv and a center of ultra-Orthodox Judaism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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