Hanukkah menorah

Not to be confused with Temple menorah.
A Hanukkah lamp from Lemberg in The Jewish Museum of New York[1]

A Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah,[n 1] is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold lights (candles or oil lamps) that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday; on each night, one more light is lit than the previous night, until on the final night all eight branches are ignited. The ninth branch holds a candle, called the shamash ("helper" or "servant"), which is used to light the other eight.

The Hanukkah menorah commemorates, but is distinct from, the seven-branched menorah used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. Along with the seven-branched menorah and the Star of David, it is among the most widely produced articles of Jewish ceremonial art.[2]

  1. ^ "Hanukkah Lamp, BD, Judaica, Ceremonial Art". The Jewish Museum. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  2. ^ Newman, Yacov; Sivan, Gavriel (1980). Judaism A-Z: Lexicon of Terms and Concepts. Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora of the World Zionist Organization.


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