How Challenges To Public Menorah Displays Helped Illuminate the Holiday

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that placing Chabad-owned menorahs in public spaces did not violate the establishment clause, it set a slab of precedent for Chabad centers to rest their menorah requests upon. But as seen with the 2006 hullabaloo over Seattle-Tacoma Airport’s menorah, the Supreme Court’s ruling, as well as numerous other federal and state decisions in favor of the menorah, is no magic bullet.

As the 21st anniversary of the Allegheny vs. ACLU ruling nears, the experiences of Chabad representatives across the United States reveal just how useful or not the landmark decision has been in bringing Chanukah’s light, message of peace and religious liberty to the public square. From Montana to Mumbai, from the Western Wall to the Great Wall of China, Chabad’s public menorah lightings number in the thousands.

In many locations, those who initially shared their discomfort over public menorahs now join in the celebration: town commissioners kindle menorah flames, Jewish community leaders vie for spots on the menorah dais. Menorahs have become such a part of civic life that city councils add on their own embellishments, arranging for inflatable dancing dreidles and electric signs proclaiming “Happy Chanukah.”