Chanukka in Berlin: First Light Lit on Ten-Meter Chanukka Menorah On Sunday, December 18, 2022, the first light of Hanukkah was lit on a ten-meter Chanukka menorah in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. This year, Hanukkah began on December 18. The Chanukka menorah was erected and consecrated on Friday and was intended to be a symbol of hope and peace in the face of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its effects, according to Berlin’s Chief Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal. The lighting ceremony was attended by Berlin’s Governing Mayor, Franziska Giffey, Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, and Israeli Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor. The Chanukka menorah has been displayed in front of the Brandenburg Gate since 2008 and is one of the largest in Europe. In addition, throughout Berlin, over 40 Chanukka menorahs can be found at public locations, including the Foreign Office, the Federal Interior Ministry, and the Berlin House of Representatives. Also present was the US Ambassador to Germany, Amy Gutmann.
