World’s Largest Electronic Menorah — Hanukkah Celebration — Courtesy: Paramount Miami
The world’s largest electronic menorah will shine across South Florida’s skyline during the eight nights of the Jewish “Festival of Lights.”
In a video provided by the Paramount Miami Worldcenter, the 60-story skyscraper’s LED-lit menorah went on display Sunday evening, the first night of the Jewish Festival of Lights.
The 100-foot-tall by 300-foot-wide illuminated image of eight flickering candles placed in a menorah appears across the building’s crown. The display is built with 16,000 LED lights that are embedded in 10,000 panes of high-impact glass which creates a mesmerizing combination of 16.2-million colors. The lights project the words “Happy Hanukkah” and the six-pointed “Star of David.”
“The world’s largest electronic menorah is a shining beacon of belief and celebration,” said Paramount Miami Worldcenter CEO, Daniel Kodsi. “The menorah is lit to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness and is a symbol of truth and justice, which is what all Americans strive for.”
Paramount is currently the country’s largest urban core construction project and the nation’s second-largest real estate development. It is considered to be the most heavily-amenitized residential tower in the United States.
The tower lightings began at sunset on Sunday, Nov. 28, and will take place every night through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 6.
This Festival of Lights will mark the 20th year of Hanukkah celebrations in Miami Beach.
In addition to the Paramount illumination, the celebration continued at Lincoln Road, near the Euclid Circle, with numerous fun activities including children spinning a Dreidel and the lighting of a 13-foot-tall menorah made up of 25,000 seashells.
The religious symbol has become an iconic art piece over the last 20 years.
Miami Beach artist Roger Abramson emphasized that every year is special in its own way. After the menorah sculpture gained popularity, he created a giant spinning dreidel made of seashells.
“I did the menorah 20 years ago and the dreidel 18 years ago. It represents so much to me and it represents something almost ecumenical. You do not have to be Jewish to appreciate it because everyone loves seashells. This represents respect, freedom, family, and democracy,” said Abramson.
“It has become the icon of Miami Beach,” he continued.
According to the American Jewish Federation, the state of Florida is home to more than 620,000 Jewish people. More than 520,000 Jewish people reside in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. According to statistics, nearly 19% of Miami-Dade County is Jewish.
The eight days of Hanukkah celebrate Jerusalem’s recovery and the subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt during the second-century B.C.
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