WASHINGTON — Today's Most DC Thing comes to us from the first night of Hannukah last night. It was the 41st annual National Menorah Lighting at the Ellipse near the White House. The ceremony had to be modified a bit due to the pandemic, but that didn't stop it from taking place as planned.
The first National Menorah Lighting took place in 1979 with President Jimmy Carter giving a speech before lighting it. This year, U. S. Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt was joined Rabbi Abraham Shemtov and Rabbi Levi Shemtov, to do the honors.
This is the Most DC Thing because our region is home to an amazing and proud Jewish community. The pandemic has affected their holiday plans just like everyone else's. The National Menorah Lighting finding a way to go on despite the unique challenges it faced this year is a testament to the spirit of resiliency and resourcefulness that the D.C. area is known for. Happy Hanukkah and have a great weekend.