DECEMBER 21 • 2023 | 19
J
N

Menorah in the D

Hundreds of Metro Detroiters attended Menorah in the D, the 13th 
annual public lighting of a 26-foot-tall menorah in the heart of the city 
organized by Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan. Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, 
Chabad vice president, said Chanukah and the conflict in Gaza both 
symbolize the struggle of light to overcome 
the dark. 
In addition to Ben Ami and Moses, 
the honorary Lamplighters were 
NEXTGen Detroit President 
Jennifer Maxbauer; IDF reservist 
Capt. Shimon Levy; Daniel and 
Gabriela Steinberg, proud par-
ents of a Lone Soldier in Israel 
right now; Alex Mison, student 
president at Chabad MSU; FJA 
student Grace Kleinfeldt; Amy 
Ostroff, who is helping Israeli fami-
lies who arrived in Detroit acclimate 
to their new home; and Samantha 
Woll, who was found murdered outside 

hostages.
Both Ben Ami, 23, and Moses, 49, say 
they don’t know if their fathers are still 
alive. Ben Ami said her father had been 
shot in the shoulder before his capture.
Ben Ami, who works in the kibbutz 
print shop, said she and her brother 
spent 15 hours in their safe room 
with no food or toilet facilities. She 
wanted to leave after a few hours, but 

he wouldn’t let her go. When she did 
come out, she joined a group of Israeli 
soldiers who helped rescue her sister 
and other civilians from elsewhere in 
the kibbutz. She was not able to reach 
her parents, and it wasn’t until two 
weeks later that she saw a video of 
Hamas terrorists taking them. 
Moses said he felt helpless when his 
father’s partner texted to say that he had 

Ella Ben Ami 
and her brother

Yair 
Moses

Ben Ami and Moses 
were in Detroit to raise 
awareness of their family 
members sill being held 
hostage by Hamas.

continued on page 20

continued on page 20

ABOVE: The dancing dreidels 
were a part of the festivities.

Ella Ben Ami and 
Yair Moses in front 
of the menorah.