First-ever permanent White House menorah unveiled at Hanukkah reception

[Rusty_Blazenhoff]

Originally published at: First-ever permanent White House menorah unveiled at Hanukkah reception | Boing Boing

…

[theophrastus]

#$%! Catholics! always promoting Judaism. (i joke… i joke… sit try some rugelach)

[Anselm]

Technically, a menorah (Hebrew for “lamp”) is a 7-armed candelabrum as used (according to the Hebrew Bible) in the Temple of Jerusalem. Along with the Star of David, it is widely used as a symbol of Judaism.

The menorah should not be confused with a Hanukkah lamp (chanukkiyah in modern Hebrew), which requires nine candles and is often, but by no means always, in the shape of a 9-armed candelabrum. (You need eight candles for the eight nights of Hanukkah and a ninth candle to light the other eight.) The Israel Museum in Jerusalem has a ginormous collection of Hanukkah lamps from all over the world, which is well worth seeing.

[tyroney]

inb4 qnut theories?

[Otherbrother]

@Anselm

Technically, a menorah (Hebrew for “lamp”) is a 7-armed candelabrum as used (according to the Hebrew Bible) in the Temple of Jerusalem. Along with the Star of David, it is widely used as a symbol of Judaism.

The menorah should not be confused with a Hanukkah lamp (chanukkiyah in modern Hebrew)

Yeah, my kids also like to try correcting anyone who conflates the terms “menorah” and “Hanukiah” but since most English speakers traditionally use the term menorah for this, and it literally means “lamp” (not exclusively the 7-branch kind) it’s not really incorrect to call it a menorah. Plus chabad.org says the following, and I’ll defer to their expertise:

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/4957252/jewish/Menorah-vs-Hanukiah.htm

When speaking Modern Hebrew, one can safely assume that the audience would be more familiar with the term hanukiah , especially since menorah can also refer to a ceiling light. However, when speaking to an English-speaking audience, menorah is more historically accurate and therefore the preferred term.

An aside:
As it happens, yesterday my wife and I did a Hanukkah presentation for my daughter’s 2nd grade class where she explained the whole story and significance of her old family-heirloom hanukiah, and I made latkes for the class. As a goy I wouldn’t have imagined myself being one of those parents that comes to the school to teach kids about Hanukkah but life throws surprises at us sometimes.

[gracchus]

While long overdue in one sense, this symbol’s arrival in the White House couldn’t be more timely, either.

[NukeML]

What about a Tyrannosorah though?

[Budbear]

Yuh cain’t fool me! It’s one of them thar space lasers!