The eight nights of Hanukah start this Sunday, December 18th! That means menorahs all over New York City will soon be aglow. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, we’ve rounded up the most exciting giant menorahs, from the world’s largest, to a brand new one shaped like a boat’s sail:
1. Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan
The World’s Largest Menorah can be found at Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza in front of the Plaza Hotel. Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006, the menorah stretches up 32 feet, the maximum height a menorah is allowed to be. What puts this menorah over the limit is the extended shamash, or middle candle, which brings its total height to 36 feet.
The golden menorah was designed by artist Yaakov Agam and first lit up in the 1970s. According to a sign at the site, Agam’s design was inspired by drawings created by the Fambam (Maimonides) of the original menorah in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. It weighs a whopping 4,000 pounds and is assembled on-site every year.
