 We are going to be celebrating Chanukah tonight, December 10th. It was very interesting as we were trying to figure out how can we bring Chanukah to our community this year. We usually have big gatherings celebrating as the community. Chanukah is a real community of time to spend together and during this midst of this pandemic it was we were put to the challenge, but we were going to allow that to stop us. So we put our heads together and we came up with what would be the safest way to bring the light of Chanukah to the streets. And what we're doing is we're going to be doing a Chanukah menorah top parade, which will mean that all the cars can come pull up, that nobody has to leave their car, you can stay inside, and we'll put the menorah on top of the car. And together with the police escort we'll be leaving from the Chabad center here in Portland and we'll be parading through the streets all the way to City Hall downtown. And there we'll have the annual grand menorah lighting. We obviously won't be going indoors like we usually do, but there's plenty of room if people want to stay in their car, they can watch from their car, those who want to get out of their car, there's plenty of room from outdoors to social distance and participate in the Chanukah menorah lighting ceremony. It's incredible, the energy, the community, the unity, Mazel tov. This is the first time ever that we've had a car menorah parade bringing the light of Chanukah all over our community, Mazel tov. We would like to begin by words from our Mayor, Mayor Snyder, as a representative here, please come up to share some greetings. It's my pleasure to be here on behalf of Mayor Kate Snyder, who had something come up at the last minute and wasn't able to be here. So I'm going to read a proclamation from Mayor Snyder. It says, whereas the Festival of Chanukah will be celebrated throughout the world from December 10th through December 18th, commemorating the victory of a small army which, although greatly outnumbered, prevailed against the forces of religious persecution. Whereas a great miracle followed this victory when a small jar with only enough oil to burn a single day lit the menorah for eight days, bringing joy to all who had fought for the right to teach and worship freely. Whereas this miracle of light is preserved around the world through the lighting of the menorah, symbolizing the ideal of religious freedom and offering a beacon of hope to all those who still subject to spiritual oppression. Whereas Rabbi Walensky, leader of Shabbat Lubavitch, House of Maine, and director of the Central Organization for Jewish Education, shares the joy of light with all citizens of the state by annually kindling a large menorah. And whereas the annual kindling of the menorah confirms the faith of all people, the universal right, sorry my glasses are fogging up, to religious expression and spiritual freedom in the state and around the world. Now therefore be it resolved that I, or that Mayor Kate Snyder, Mayor of the City of Portland and the members of the Portland City Council do hereby join with the entire Portland community in proclaiming December 10th through the 18th Hanukkah week within the City of Portland, Maine, and urge all of our fellow citizens to join us in recognizing this special event which adds to the quality of the life in our city. Signed and sealed this 10th day of December, Mayor Kate Snyder. The idea of Hanukkah, it's not maybe a biblical holiday from the Torah, but it became a rabbinical holiday. In the temple, the time 2000 years ago and the temple stood in Jerusalem, every day the high priest will light the menorah. It was seven branches. It was lit during the day. And it had to have a special oil. It was called shemen zayezoch. It had to have the pure oil, means from an aleph. The first drops were good enough for the menorah. Anything after that, it was not usable for the menorah. When the Greeks disrupted, destroyed the temple, they defiled all the jugs of oil because the jug of oil had to have the high priest's signature on it. And finally, after years, they were able to rededicate their temple, the Jewish temple. The problem was they wanted to light the menorah and they could not find any oil that had the signature of the high priest. They looked, they looked, they looked, and finally they found one little jug of oil. And this jug of oil only is supposed to last for one day. So came a discussion among the rabbis. Maybe every day was a little bit until we were able to make new oil because to make new oil takes eight days. It was decided, better do the first day correctly and we'll see what happens afterwards. So instead of burning for one day, it lasted for eight days until the priest in the temple were able to make new oil and press the oil. And that's how come we have Chanakah for eight days. Now the miracle of Chanakah is not just a Jewish deed. It came a universal deed. It's to show everybody about the miracle that took place. A bunch of weak people, no ammunition, won against the mighty Greek Roman Empire to retake the temple because they really meant it and they wanted to fulfill God's wishes. This comes to teach us, even today in America, all over the world, the weak could win against the might if we're determination. And we should be able to do, everybody could do, should be able to do dear religion, they feel fit without persecution. America was built of freedom of religion and thank God we live in America and many countries are acting like America today and the let and the let everybody do dear, dear commands, dear religion. Now we see that America was taken place the last few weeks, last month, a lot of the Arab countries was maybe forbidden for you to go there. Today they could go there and there's big Chanakah celebrations in Dubai, other places when you went and dreamt about it two years ago. The menorah lighting is a part of a worldwide Chanakah campaign launched by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendelscherson of Righteous Memory. In 1973, the campaign highlighted and encourages the central theme of the holiday publicizing the story of Chanakah's miracle and the victory of light over darkness and spreading a message of hope and religious freedom, such as the nature of light that when one kindles a light for one's own benefit, it benefits also all who are in the vicinity. Indeed, the Chanakah lights are expressly meant to eliminate the outside symbolically alluding to the duty to bring light also to those who, for one reason or another, still walk in the darkness. The menorah serves as a symbol of light and hope for us, especially today, amidst the darkness of this pandemic as it did for generations before us. The flames of the menorah shine out in the night, reminding us that even when confronted with this much darkness, a tiny light can dispel it all. Another act of goodness and kindness, another act of light, can make all the difference. A bright and happy Chanakah to everyone. Baruch hath adonai, hallowainu malachah, hachianu vikimahanu, vikianu lismahazah. The menorah was, it's a commandment to the Torah when the Jews were in the desert. We had a temporary temple till we were going to head into Jerusalem and Israel and Jerusalem to build our holy temple. So we had a tabernacle. And that was the first time we had the commandments of the different vessels and utensils which were going to be used in the temple. And there God commanded Moses to build a menorah. The menorah in the temple is actually a little different than the menorah you see here. The menorah in the temple had six branches and this one has eight and that is because of the eight days of Chanakah. So we light an extra candle, but actually in the temple, it's a six branch menorah. We are part of a very large organization, the largest outreach organizations in the world over 5,000 branches. In 1987, I was asked from the central office to come to, if I like to come to Portland, Maine and serve the state of Maine for Chabad-le-Bavish and do different outreach programs. And I accepted the position and I'm here since 1987, not in this location, but a number of blocks away and we've been in Portland the last close to 35 years. And thank God we're able to bring some of the next generation here as well. And you see Robbie Levy's here working hard with the Chabad youth and we have in the Bronze Week a full-time Chabad house well as in Bangor, Maine and different parts of the state served by the roving rabbis. And thank God after 35 years, we've been very successful. This middle candle is called the Shamash. It's an helper candle. So it's not one of the eight candles. And because of that, it's not part of it. This is one, we just use it if this was a fire, I would use this to light the new candle. But this is my helper candle and we just want to differentiate that this is not part of the eight candle so we put it a little bit above that. And so that would make it the ninth. So we just use that to help us light the other candles. These candles, which are lit, we say in our prayers, اِنَ الْرِشُشْلِشْتَمِشْبَهَنْ That's in Hebrew. One is not able to use it. You're just supposed to look at the light but it's not meant to benefit from, like reading from it. You're just supposed to simply watch the candles. As opposed to this middle candle we actually use to light it. So that has a different significance. If anybody's interested in understanding what Chabadav Main is, Chabadav Main is just briefly has been here over for close to 35 years, founded by Rabbi Moshe Olansky, my father, who was on the interview. We are an organization which is under the leadership of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schnersen, a blessed memory. Our headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York. We are in over 100 countries. Here in the state of Maine we have three centers. We have Portland, Brunswick and Bangor, where Brunswick is having their lighting and Lewiston will be a lighting and Bangor will be a public minority lighting. And if anybody's interested in any of other programs which we do, we have Torah classes, Chala baking classes and kids children's programs, community events, check us up on ChabadavMain.com and you can also subscribe to our weekly email with all the upcoming events as well to stay in the loop. Celebrate freedom. Celebrate unity. Celebrate harmony. Light up your menorah tonight. Light up the world with a deed of goodness and kindness.