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o one believed the Kornbleuths’ etrog meno-
rah would remain lit during all eight days of 
Chanukah, but the Chanukah miracle sur-
prised everyone, including the Kornbleuths.
The Oak Park-based family, who specialize in etrog 
art, decided to put a unique spin on the Israeli yellow 
citrus fruit typically used during the weeklong holiday 
of Sukkot.
Instead of their trademark custom etrog tallit clips, 
necklaces, bracelets and earrings, father-and-son duo 
Eric and Mordechai Kornbleuth created what they say 
is a potentially first-ever etrog menorah.
Made of only the four species used on Sukkot — the 
etrog (citrus fruit), lulav (palm frond), hadass (myrtle) 
and aravah (willow) — the Kornbleuths’ menorah fea-
tures no metal, plastic or wire. It’s simply held together 
by glue, friction, and what neighbors and friends call a 
Chanukah miracle.
“Everyone said it couldn’t possibly hold eight full oil 
candles,
” Eric Kornbleuth, 55, explains. “Miraculously, 
it did hold them. Some people thought it shouldn’t be 
lit, but we had to do it, and it lasted all eight days of 
Chanukah.
”

NAVIGATING THE IMPOSSIBLE
Last year’s endeavor was sparked by an idea to tackle a 
much bigger etrog project.

“
As Chanukah was approaching, it came to mind 
that, theoretically, we could make a menorah from 
etrogs,
” Kornbleuth says. 
As a family that doesn’t shy away from difficult or 
seemingly impossible creative projects, Kornbleuth 
explains that they decided to up the ante by construct-
ing a menorah made out of eight etrogs that wouldn’t 
be held by any sort of rack.
Still, the structure would need to sustain the weight 
of eight heavy glass holders filled with oil.
Instead of turning to complexity, the Kornbleuths 
decided to keep the menorah simple and look toward 
ancient Jewish traditions as inspiration. “We decided 
the menorah would be shaped exactly as you hold the 
lulav and etrog in your hands on Sukkot,
” Kornbleuth 
says.
Nonetheless, the idea was easier said than done. 
An entire month went by where the menorah just 
wouldn’t stay together. As it continued to fall apart, the 
Kornbleuth family nearly gave up.
However, luck was in their favor. After one final 
coating of industrial glue, the Kornbleuths decided to 
step away from the etrog menorah and let it sit for a 
week and dry. If it would come apart in any area, they 
would scrap the project and not attempt to fix it.
Yet, one week later, the etrog menorah remained 
exactly as they had left it.

“Those who knew what we were working on felt that 
it looked great but cautioned against possibly destroy-
ing it by inserting the heavy glass containers filled with 
oil,
” Kornbleuth says. “
Around 90% said to leave it as 
beautiful etrog art without lighting it on Chanukah.
”
The menorah, made out of natural items, wasn’t fire-
proof — and it had nothing beyond industrial glue and 
tension holding it together. Still, the Kornbleuths chose 
to see the project out in full.
Deemed kosher by their rabbi, the Kornbleuths went 
ahead with lighting the etrog menorah.
“We were not convinced it would hold for even one 
night of lighting, but we were dedicated to the notion 
of it functioning as an actual menorah, and not a work 
of art,
” Kornbleuth says.

EIGHT SURPRISING DAYS
Night after night, the etrog menorah remained lit. 
Getting two sets of four etrogs to permanently bond, 
and then bond both sets to the spine of a lulav without 
any support, was no simple feat.
Neither was splitting a lulav in three parts to pres-
surize the eight etrogs against each other, towards the 
spine and to remain upright in the air (Kornbleuth 
admits he’s still not sure how it was possible).
“Each night was its own new miracle,
” says 
Kornbleuth, who lit the menorah in a window for all 
to see. Many neighbors drove by the Kornbleuth home 
to see the menorah in the window or stopped in to 
see it up close and take pictures of this seemingly real 
Chanukah miracle.
As Chanukah came and went, the project was finally 
completed
“The eighth night was when we all finally breathed 
the air of true accomplishment of what we were trying 
to achieve,
” Kornbleuth says.
As for whether the Kornbleuths will light the 
etrog menorah again this Chanukah, the answer is 
a firm maybe. “It now carries a history of being lit 
all eight nights, but we don’t want to push our luck,
” 
Kornbleuth says, “or, as we like to joke, ‘rely on a sec-
ond miracle to occur.
’” 

A menorah made out 
of etrogs, a symbolic 
fruit used during Sukkot, 
burns for eight days.

 A 
Chanukah 
 
 
 
 ‘Miracle’

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SUKKOT

The “miraculous 
etrog menorah”

Father-and-son 
team Eric and 
Mordechai 
Kornbleuth turn 
etrogs into art.

