The largest Chanukah menorah in the Bronx was lit in the Riverdale section by Rabbi Levi Shemtov tonight. The menorah which stands in front of the Riverdale Bell Tower (West 239th Street & Riverdale Avenue) is lit with help from Con Ediison who provides a bucket truck to lift the Rabbi to the top of the menorah. This coming Sunday is the official public lighting with one of the local elected officials going up in the bucket truck with the Rabbi to light the menorah. Last year Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. had the honor of lighting the Riverdale menorah. This year while Mayor Elect Bill deBlasio has been invited to light the menorah Rabbi Shemtov said the back up menorah lighter would be Senator Jeff Klein or Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. Dinowitz has lit the menorah in the past while Senator Klein has not. Below are photos of the menorah being put up, in the afternoon before sundown, and after being lit by Rabbi Shemtov.
Left - Workers secure the base of the largest menorah in the Bronx.
Right - The menorah base is complete.
Left - The Con Edison bucket truck waits to lift Rabbi Shemtov to light the first light on the Riverdale Chanukah Menorah.
Right - People dance in glee as the start of Chanukah is minutes away.
Left - A side photo of the menorah.
Right - A front view of the menorah. The middle light is lit first then also one light from the right. On each of the next seven nights remaining of Chanukah another light is lit next to the one that was lit the night before.
