Our Menorahs 12' 14

The Menorah is the symbol of Hanukkah. For Jewish people worldwide the Menorah  is is a symbol of pride in their shared history. Whether Orthodox,Reformed, or Conservative Jew's world-wide respect and use the  Menorah as one of their symbols of identity.   For Bruce, who was raised Reformed , and exposed to all three forms of, the Judaism, the Menorah is integral to who he is.

Bruce's First Menorah

Of course we do honor the holiday's tradition by the  are lighting  the candles and reciting the prayers all eight nights.  We use the  50 year old Menorah and a prayer book that was given to Bruce by his family when he first went into the military. For Cece, who has been married to Bruce for half of her adult life,  the prayers said during this ceremony are a comforting reminder of shared social values towards family and community and one another.

As a show of my respect for my husband and his traditions, I put symbolic Menorahs all over the house throughout Hanukkah.  Most prominent is the set of blue bottles arranged like a Menorah in the front window.  We add one new candle in each bottle throughout the eight day  holiday season.

The next most obvious is the fancy modern Menorah that graces the center of our dining room table. We light the candles in it  only on the closing night of the holiday.

Smaller symbols abound as well.... like the tiny Menorahs which sit by each place setting 

Or the tea towels with  hand stitched Menorahs on them..CC even painted a small Menorah on canvas.  It remains on display not just for eight days, but throughout  the entire month of  December.  

Yeah, yeah, we  know all the above has nothing to do with the real connection of the Menorah to the holiday,  but both of us are romantics.  What better way to show my sentiments towards my husband's values , than to do something so schmaltzy.