Hanukkah World Records

EEver since the days of the Maccabees, Jews around the globe have been attempting incredible feats in
honor of Hanukkah. One of the most popular pursuits is the creation of the worlds tallest menorah, a
goal that may have been reached with the construction of a 60-foot-plus, 17-metric-ton behemoth in
Latrun, Israel. Other attempts to earn entry in the record books include the building of a 12-foot high
pyramid of fried jelly doughnuts near the Israeli town of Afula, and the coordination of several dozen
simultaneously spinning dreidels by the Mayer Kaplan Jewish Community Center in Skokie, Ill.

The Tallest Menorah

According to the Code of Jewish Law, menorahs can be a maximum of 20 cubits high (each cubit
equals 18 inches), yet several organizations claim to have lit The Worlds Largest Menorah. Who is
the true winner? While no one has created an official, rabinically approved standard for measuring
menorah height, the ultimate goal of these record attempts may not be competition, but rather
encouraging people to light their own menorahs. The real point is to create a highly visible symbol of
the message of Hanukkah, says Rabbi Shemtov of the American Friends of Lubavitch.
In 1997 a menorah was built in Latrun, near the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It was more than
60-feet tall, weighed 17 metric tons, and took up an area of 600-square meters. A rabbi was lifted in a
crane each night of the holiday to light the candles. The menorah, which was made of metal pipes, was
erected by the Chabad movement.
The 19th annual lighting of the National Hanukkah Menorah took place on December 13, 1998. The
American Friends of Lubavitch claim that their 30-foot aluminum menorah is the largest in the world.
Prominent dignitaries, including the president, members of Congress, ambassadors, and Jewish
communal leaders have attended and participated in the lighting of the National Menorah.
The Lubavitch Youth Organization claimed to have lit the worlds largest Hanukkah menorah in New
York Citys Central Park in 1998. The 32-foot high gold-colored steel structure, designed by artist
Yaakov Agam, was inspired by a drawing of the original menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.
Specially designed glass chimneys protect the lights from the Central Park winds. Due to the height of
the menorah, it was lit nightly with the help of a Con Edison cherry picker crane.

The Biggest Pile of Jelly Doughnuts

On the first night of Hanukkah of 1997, a 12-foot high pyramid made of 6,400 sufganiyot (fried jelly
donughts) was erected near the Israeli town of Afula. The blob was dismantled later, and the sufganiyot
were distributed to Israeli soldiers serving along the border with Lebanon. The attempt to get into The
Guinness Book of World Records was sponsored by a food store chain.

The Greatest Number of Simultaneously Spinning Dreidels

On December 15, 1998, the Mayer Kaplan Jewish Community Center in Skokie, Illinois attempted to
set the inaugural worlds record for largest number of dreidels to be spun at one time. At least 200
people were needed to set the record.