Sky High Menorah: Balloon Menorah Dazzles New Mexico Crowd
By Nakayla Mcclelland / Journal Staff Writer
Balloon Fiesta may be over, but a crowd of more than 1,200 people saw nine balloons light up as the sun set on Sunday in a display designed to look like a massive menorah. The Night Glow celebrated the fifth night of the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah.
The holiday, which lasts from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2, this year, commemorates the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees after it was decimated by Syrians in 165 BC. It is observed by lighting candles on a candelabrum, which references the purification ritual of the recovered Temple in Jerusalem.
Only one vial of oil was available during the time, which was only supposed to last for one day, but somehow the vial made the candelabrum burn for eight days, according to tradition. To celebrate, Jewish people burn candles or oil in the branches using the tallest, also known as the shamash, to ignite the others. The nine balloons used at the glow are an ode to the nine branches featured on a menorah. One more candle is added each night until all are lit on the last night.
“I think that’s wonderful because it’s a city wide event — that Chabad is a very welcoming, very welcoming sect of Judaism. And so they purposely in promoting the light of joy of this, of this nice little holiday to the whole city and not just to the Jewish religion, because we’re only a small percentage, of course, of the population,” said Jeffrey Glassheim of Albuquerque. It was his fifth time coming to this event, which started in 2016.
The event boasted a one-of-a-kind celebration featuring one of the largest Hanukkah menorahs across the country, and the only hot air balloon menorah in the world, according to Chabad Rabbi Chaim Schmukler. Another 18-foot menorah was also lit in celebration.
“It just hit me that it would be beautiful to have some menorahs made out of balloons, and it picked up and became a New Mexico tradition that’s very New Mexican and very Hanukkah,” said Rabbi Schmukler, a rabbi at Chabad of New Mexico, the group who put together the event. “People just want to be together with family and friends and have a good time, especially with a holiday that brings light and represents goodness and kindness.”
Accompanied by the sounds of singers Moshe Tischler and his band — who performed both English and Yiddish hits — the event, blended Jewish and New Mexican traditions. It drew in a large crowd from the local Jewish community.
The celebration, which was free to the public with reservations, began at 4:30 and was open to everyone of all ages. Security guards roamed Balloon Fiesta park among the crowd. Dreidels, cash and light up necklaces were handed out to children who attend. Food made with oils, like latkes (i.e. potato pancakes) sufganiyot, jelly-filled donuts, and gelt — chocolates shaped like coins were given to all attendees to celebrate.
“Hanukkah, just spiritually-speaking, increases light and a candle is something that brings warmth or brightens someone’s life and that’s what Hanukkah is all about,” Rabbi Schmukler said. “The idea of Hanukkah is we’re all menorahs, bringing light and goodness and kindness into the world and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
