metro

Menorah Lighting In
Downtown Detroit

Second annual celebration to be
bigger and better than last year.

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$60

$66

marleeic

twelve oaks mall, 2nd level, near center court

marleesstyle.com • 248.380.9900

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1796480

22

November 29 • 2012

LI6HTit*
Tik 11)

Managing Editor

ast year's lighting of the meno-
rah in Downtown Detroit drew
more than 600 people. This
year's event, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 12 in Cadillac Square in Campus
Martius Park in Detroit, is expected
to draw 1,000.
The Shul with the Chabad-
Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan
and CommunityNEXT are once
again producing the community-
wide menorah lighting event this
Chanukah to renew a sense of Jewish
identity, bring Judaism to Downtown
Detroit, and to welcome people of
all ages, religions and backgrounds
to the city for a night of merriment.
This event, like other Chabad-led
public menorah lightings all over the
world, will be a source of inspiration
and pride for Jews throughout the
Detroit metropolitan area.
"Being Downtown means we can
share the message of the menorah
with more people said Itty Shemtov
of The Shul. "The feedback we got
last year from people was that it cre-
ated a warm feeling to celebrate a
Jewish holiday in public and created
feelings of unity. The message of the
Chanukah flames is that hope and
unity are eternal."
This year, brothers Eric and Israel
Nordin of the Detroit Design Center
are creating a permanent 24-foot
menorah, which will be on dis-
play Downtown the entire week of
Chanukah, from Dec. 8-16.
The Nordins were approached
by The Shul a few weeks ago about
design ideas. "We looked at some
other epic menorahs around the
world and chose a design inspired

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by some of our sculptural pieces in
Brighton, Birmingham and Detroit,"
said Eric Nordin. "The rabbi felt that
we needed to maintain traditional
style, but was artistically very open-
minded."
The menorah, made out of stainless
steel with glass details, encompasses a
geometric yet still traditional design,
Nordin said. "The major hurdle has
been the time frame. We have three
weeks to make magic happen."
The menorah will be lit at 5:30
p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, the
fifth night of Chanukah. The public
is invited to celebrate the Festival of
Lights by coming to enjoy refresh-
ments and holiday festivities, such
as traditional Chanukah doughnuts
called sufganiot and hot cider by
Jerusalem Pizza, a hot soup bar, ice
skating and a very special music pre-
sentation sponsored by the Stephen
Gottlieb Music Festival.
The Second Annual Menorah
Lighting in Detroit is hosted by
The Shul of West Bloomfield and
co-sponsored by Quicken Loans,
CommunityNEXT, Honigman, the
Detroit Medical Center, Printwand, PJ
Library, SPARC and the Detroit Jewish

News.
Round-trip bus transportation will
be available from The Shul in West
Bloomfield. The bus will leave from
The Shul promptly at 4:15 p.m. The
return bus will leave Campus Martius
Park at 7 p.m. The fee for the bus is
$10 and seats must be reserved by
Dec. 7.
You can also drive to the event.
Free parking, arranged by Quicken
Loans, is available at Two Detroit
Garage. For more information, visit
www.MenorahInTheD.com or call The
Shul office at (248) 788-4000.

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