The lighting of the third candle of Chanuka was held at the Western Wall Plaza, in honor of Jewish Brotherhood and the Unity of the Jewish People, and was attended by thousands of people.
This event was in appreciation of the millions of Jews in Israel and the Diaspora and tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors, who courageously carry the torch of light.
Defense Minister, Benny Gantz noted at the end of the candle lighting ceremony: “At this holy site, and especially in the presence of the Holocaust survivors whose victory was not a victory of power but of spirit – we must remember that the spiritual and ethical power are one. If we have spiritual resilience but have no power to protect ourselves we have not accomplished anything, if we can protect ourselves but have no morality or faith, we will lose our path. Consequently, only a combination of power and spirit, strength on one hand and unity on the other, can Israel move forward with all of its parts, toward the future.”
The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz said: “Here, on the third candle of Chanuka, we call for the unity of the Jewish People. The Western Wall is the home of all Jews in Israel and overseas. There is no other place like the Western Wall that symbolizes the terrible price of pure hatred and civil war. Each and every Jew has a connection to this place, especially public servants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Defense Minister and Culture Minister for their tireless efforts on behalf of Israel. For the tens of thousands of IDF soldiers who visit the Western Wall each year and for the enormous contribution to the security of Israel.”
In attendance at the event, were the Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek, Rabbi Yitzchak David Grossman; Minister of Culture and Sport MK, Hili Tropper; Chairman of the JDC, General (Res) Doron Almog; Chairman of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel; Director General of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Solly Eliav; Director General of the Claims Conference, Greg Schneider; Chairwoman of the Center Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, Collette Avital; Chairman of the Israel Claims Conference, Shlomo Gur, together with 100 Holocaust survivors who came especially with the Claims Conference and the Live in Dignity Organization to participate in the candle lighting ceremony, as well as the public at large who tuned in from 15 countries around the world.
