Hanukkah 2012: Miraculous Hurricane Sandy Menorah Makes It to the White House
A menorah from a Long Beach synagogue that survived Hurricane Sandy is being sent to Washington to be the centerpiece of the White House Thursday's Hanukkah ceremony, reported CBS New York.
According to Rabbi David Bauman, from Temple Israel, the Long Beach synagogue where the now famous piece was rescued from, the 7-feet-tall menorah will be displayed at the White House to symbolize the region's recovery after the devastating super storm.
“This is our dark hour. We’re going to sleep crying and now, we’re coming out with a light and the idea that we lit the Chanukah candles second night of Chanukah in front of City Hall and on the sixth night of Chanukah, we’ll be lighting that menorah in the White House is definitely a beacon of light for us and a source of inspiration and hope,” Bauman said.
Unfortunately, much of the temple where the famous menorah comes from was totally destroyed — what makes the survival of the iconic piece even more incredible. Rabbi Bauman said he received a call from Washington, “asking if we had a menorah [...] that survived the hurricane.” He added he’d be personally delivering the artifact that will be "packed very nicely" into his economical minivan.
