20 | DECEMBER 17 • 2020 

T

wo events, five minutes 
away from each other 
in Downtown Detroit, 
marked the first night of a 
reimagined Chanukah. 
Menorah in the D, the 
yearly event that usually 
draws thousands to Cadillac 
Square to watch local 
luminaries light a giant 
menorah to ring in the 
holiday, took place mostly 
virtually Dec. 10 due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic. 
The hybrid event took place 
in Campus Martius Park like 
usual as hundreds of Jewish 
Detroiters watched the music, 
games and speeches from 
afar. Michigan chapters of the 
Chabad Lubavitch movement, 
including ChabaD of Greater 
Downtown Detroit, staged 
the event in partnership with 
the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan Detroit, with 
the Jewish News serving as a 
streaming media partner.
Hosts of the event 
were ChabaD of Greater 
Downtown Detroit Executive 
Director Rabbi Yisrael 
Pinson, Chabad Lubavitch 
of Michigan Vice President 
Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov 
and Rock Ventures Detroit 
Ambassador Bruce Schwartz. 
Few people attended in 
person beyond a small crowd 
of media and invited guests, 
following concentrated efforts 

by the event’s organizers to 
encourage Detroiters to stay 
home and watch the event 
online. At a few points, the 
broadcast cut to a large group 
of Zoom participants lighting 
their menorahs at home.
Michigan Secretary of 
State Jocelyn Benson made a 
quick in-person appearance 
at the event, saying that 
Menorah in the D is “such 
a great celebration of our 
community, our diversity and 
our commitment to ensuring 
we recognize we’re all in this 
together.”
Benson made her 
appearance following days 
of tight security detail after 
armed protesters opposing 
the Michigan election results 
marched outside her home. 
Guests delivering virtual 
pre-recorded messages for 
the event included Gov. 
Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary 
Peters, Detroit Mayor Mike 
Duggan, Congresswoman 
(MI-14) Brenda Lawrence, 
State Rep. (MI-39) Ryan 
Berman, Michigan State 
Sen. Jeremy Moss, Oakland 
County Treasurer-elect 
Robert Wittenberg, former 
JFMD CEO Scott Kaufman, 
Michigan Supreme Court 
Justice Richard Bernstein 
and 2020 Nobel Laureate 
Paul Milgrom, a native 
Detroiter. Joshua Goldberg 

Menorah lighting and a colorful 
mural brighten Downtown Detroit.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Chanukah 
in the D

IN 
THED
JEWS

DANNY SCHWARTZ/JEWISH NEWS

continued on page 22

The giant 
menorah 
at Campus 
Martius Park

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